The
sport
Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...
of
football in the country of
Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
is run by the
Bahrain Football Association, and is by far, the most popular sport in the country.
Bahrain has its own
top-tier domestic professional football league, the
Bahraini Premier League
The Bahraini Premier League is the main football competition in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Currently known as the Nasser bin Hamad Premier League, the first season was held in 1957. The winners of the domestic championship qualify for the AFC Cup. ...
. It features 10 football clubs that play a two-round robin set, with each team playing a total of 18 fixtures. The winners of the domestic championship qualify for the
AFC Cup.
The league uses a
promotion and relegation
In sports leagues, promotion and relegation is a process where teams are transferred between multiple divisions based on their performance for the completed season. Leagues that use promotion and relegation systems are often called open leagues ...
system with the
Bahraini Classification League, Bahrain's second-tier football league. The season usually starts in September and concludes in May, as in other football leagues. The first season was held in 1952. Although games are played on a home and away basis, almost all games are played at the
Bahrain National Stadium
Bahrain National Stadium ( ar, ستاد البحرين الوطني; transliterated: Stād al-Bahrayn al-Watanī) is the national stadium of Bahrain, located in Riffa. It can accommodate 24,000 spectators and is used mostly for football matches.
...
.
The bottom placed club is relegated with the team finishing second bottom entering a relegation/promotion playoff match. The most successful club in the league's history is
Al-Muharraq SC
Al-Muharraq Sports Club ( ar, نادي المحرق الرياضي) is a Bahraini professional football club based in Muharraq. It is one of the oldest sports clubs in the Arabian Peninsula. Al-Muharraq Sports Club has won the Bahraini Premier ...
.
Total championships
''As of 2019–20 season''.
League system
National Team
Baharian best acheievement was reaching the semi finals of the
2004 AFC Asian Cup
The 2004 AFC Asian Cup was the 13th edition of the men's AFC Asian Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). It was held from 17 July to 7 August 2004 in China. The defending champio ...
.
See also
*
Sport in Bahrain
A variety of sports in Bahrain are popular and widespread. Association football is the most popular sport in the country. Other traditionally-popular sports include basketball, volleyball and team handball, handball. Sports such as horse racing, m ...
*
Bahrain national football team
References
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