Tracking Triumph – Bahrain Olympic Committee launches National Sports Database

Success for the Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) came in many forms in 2024.

Topping the list was the country’s performance at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, where Bahraini athletes doubled the nation’s overall medal tally to eight after winning two gold, one silver and one bronze.

Setting Bahrain up for future Olympic glory was the launch in spring 2024 of the BOC’s National Sports Database.

The cornerstone of a broader digital transformation currently under way at the National Olympic Committee, the National Sports Database centralises data on athletes, coaches, and officials to enable stakeholders to track key metrics such as performance, attendance and health.

The long-term goal is for the National Sports Database to transform decision-making in areas such as training, development and the scouting of talent, while improving coordination between departments and National Federations to aid in the long-term development of athletes and preparation for the Olympic Games.

“For the National Olympic Committee, the database has streamlined athlete management, reporting and preparation for multi-sport events,” said Mohammed Rafiq Bhatti, Head of IT Infrastructure at the BOC. “For the athletes, it ensures they are visible, their progress is tracked, and their development plans are personalised, and data-informed. It has also improved communication between athletes, coaches, and administrators.”

The switch to a digital hub marks a sea change in the way the BOC operates. In the past, the NOC kept track of such data using a combination of spreadsheets, manual records and isolated files across different departments, according to Bhatti. “This decentralised approach,” he said, “led to inconsistencies, duplication of data, and difficulties in tracking athlete progress over time, especially across different competitions and Olympic cycles.”

The BOC concluded that an upgrade was necessary following an internal review of its processes in 2020 and a needs-assessment exercise conducted in early 2021. The findings led the BOC to apply for an Olympic Solidarity grant in 2021 through the NOC Management Initiatives programme, which is a sub-programme of the NOC Administration Development programme.

While Olympic Solidarity encourages all NOCs to enhance their operations through the adoption of IT tools and infrastructure, it also cautions that upgrades be done in a manageable, sustainable way that corresponds to their individual needs. Rushing into such an endeavour can quickly become overwhelming in terms of workload, management and expense.

Supported by Olympic Solidarity funding, the BOC ensured it had a clear vision and a practical blueprint in place from the outset to guide the execution of the project. This gave the NOC a solid understanding of the work, costs and timeline required and provided the flexibility to switch gears when necessary, during the implementation phase.

Certain issues arose even with the roadmap in place. The initial data migration, for example, was hampered by the variety of sources and inconsistent formats previously used, while stakeholders also required time to adjust to the new digital workflow.

To address these challenges, the BOC implemented onboarding workshops, phased system rollouts and established a dedicated support team. End users were also actively involved to ensure the platform aligned with their practical needs.

From the planning stages to its launch on 30 April 2024, the National Sports Database project took almost three years to materialise. Still in progress are a public-facing version of the National Sports Database portal as well as a fan-engagement app, both designed to create stronger connections between the athletes and public in Bahrain.

Thanks to a number of late nights by the in-house IT team and the external developers hired for the job, the BOC now has a powerful new tool with which to monitor the progress and results of athletes and officials over time.

“We’ve been highly successful in achieving our objectives,” Bhatti said. “The database has become the central reference point for athlete information, significantly improving communication and planning. Our National Federations now have access to updated athlete profiles, and decisions are more data-driven than ever before.”

With its National Sports Database now in operation, the BOC has laid the groundwork not just for future podium finishes but for a smarter, more connected sporting ecosystem that will serve Bahrain and its athletes for years to come.