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Dozens of sleek black vehicles were parked outside the Sheraton Hotel on University Place Wednesday and Thursday. The Bahrain News Agency has said that a delegation is in Central New York to train in an Iron Man competition this weekend.
(Julie McMahon | jmcmahon@syracuse.com)
Syracuse, N.Y. -- Two princes from Bahrain are staying in Central New York this week and will lead a team competing in the Iron Man competition in Jamesville on Sunday.
Shaikhs Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa and Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa are leading a team in the Iron Man competition. The delegation from Bahrain appears to be staying at the Sheraton Hotel on University Avenue.
The Bahrain News Agency posted a photo on its website with a story discussing the country's team training in New York this week.
The princes are of the reigning Al Khalifa family. Their father is King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. According to the CIA World Factbook, the Kingdom of Bahrain is a constitutional monarchy with a population of about 1.3 million. The country, which is about 3.5 times the size of Washington,D.C. has a gross domestic product of $29.75 billion U.S. dollars.
The Bahraini triathlon team has begun training in Central New York as part of their third competition in the U.S., according to the government-run news organization Bahrain News Agency.
A large private airplane with the flag of Bahrain landed at Hancock International Airport Wednesday.
A spokesperson for the airport referred questions to the Bahrain consulate, which has not returned calls requesting comment.
An airplane with flag of Bahrain landed in Syracuse on Wednesday.
According to the news agency, the team is training to compete in swimming, bicycling and running competitions in South Korea and Bahrain later this year.
In statements given to the news agency, the princes said the Central New York competition would help the team develop confidence and trust, and help them maintain "topnotch stamina and physical fitness" in preparation for international competitions.
A spokesperson for the Iron Man 70.3 race confirmed that a delegation from Bahrain was participating in Jamesville on Sunday, along with 2,300 athletes from 20 different countries.
At least 12 black Escalades, two Range Rovers, and three other black cars were parked outside the Sheraton on Wednesday night.
No parking orders were posted by police across from the Sheraton on Thursday.
A driver of one of the vehicles who would not give his name said that royalty from Bahrain was staying at the hotel. He directed questions to a group of men standing outside the hotel. One man said delegates from Bahrain were competing in the Iron Man, and would be in Syracuse for the week. He declined to comment further.
On Thursday morning, parking was prohibited by police order across from the Sheraton. A long line of Escalades were parked outside. The vehicles occasionally blocked traffic on the street.
As men exited the Sheraton Thursday morning, an Escalade would pull up and one man would enter each vehicle at a time. As each Escalade transported one passenger, another Escalade would queue up on University Place.
One driver of a black Escalade polished his vehicle for over an hour outside the Sheraton Hotel on Thursday morning.
For over an hour, one driver waxed and polished an Escalade outside the hotel.
A man who identified himself as visiting from Bahrain on Thursday would not say what the delegation was doing in Syracuse and referred questions to the embassy.
David Heymann, general manager for the Sheraton, said he could not comment on the activity at the hotel, in the spirit of protecting guest's privacy.
Have you seen the Bahraini delegation in Central New York this week? Send us your photos at jmcmahon@syracuse.com or use the hashtag #BahrainCNY on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.