Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s Prince Nawaf Bin Faisal Bin Fahad Bin Abdul Aziz embraced the concept of the annual Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Awards and declared that it has helped make the difference for every Arab athlete actively engaged in sport and sports administration.
Speaking at the seventh award distribution ceremony at the Dubai World Trade Centre’s Rashid Ballroom, Prince Nawaf said it was “with deep pride and joy” that members of the Arab sports fraternity had gathered together to celebrate the special occasion.
He said that it was the wealth of skill, competency and passion to excel that had united the sporting community - and that the Awards helped set the bar higher each year. He encouraged all award recipients and attendees to remind themselves that every effort hinges around supporting each other in the bid for excellence.
In his opening message, Prince Nawaf also thanked His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for his powerful encouragement that has helped enhance sporting achievement.
He also thanked Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Shaikh Maktoum Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Shaikh Ahmad Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Award, for their patronage.
Prince Nawaf also won the ‘Arab Sports Personality’ Award for his efforts to support and improve sports in the Arab region during his presidency of the Youth Welfare (Ministry of Youth and Sport).
Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award, Khalid Ali Bin Zayed, Secretary-General of the award, members of the panel of judges of the award and other officials were also present.
The Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Awards are the largest award in terms of value and variety of categories and the first of its kind ever devoted to creativity in sport.
Al Tayer had earlier stated that for the very first time in the seven-year history of the sports awards, representatives of the award visited sports institutes and local clubs at their headquarters prior to selecting the winners.
In total, they visited 30 clubs, federations, and institutes to explain the focus of competition and the mechanism of candidacy and to present a sample file demonstrating all competition requirements.
The MBR Creative Sports Awards were presented in three categories that included local, regional and international creative works in the field of sports and athletics.
The sports personnel and the winning sports institutions of the seventh edition are:
The Local Athlete Award:
Saif Khalifa Bin Fetais Al Mansouri (Shooting)
The Local Administrator Award:
Majid Abdulla Murshid Al Asimi (Disabled Sports)
The Local Referee Award:
Mohammad Essa Hassan Al Azab
The Local Team Award:
The UAE Archery National Team for the Disabled
The Local Organisation Award:
SkyDive Dubai
Abu Dhabi Falconers Club
The Arab Athlete Award:
Ehab Abdul Rahman Al Sayed Abdul Rahman (Egypt)
The Arab Administrator Award:
Shaikh Khalid Bin Abdullah Al Khalifa (Bahrain) The Arab Referee Award Fahad Mohammad Edwan Mohammad Al Maradasi (Football) Saudi Arabia
The Arab Coach Award:
Mudawi Khairuddin Bin Majid Bin Khalifa (Football) Algeria
The Arab Organisation Award:
Egyptian Armed Forces (School of Military Sports) Egypt
The International Organisation Award:
The International Judo Federation, IJF - located in Switzerland
Local Emerging Athletes Who Achieved Outstanding Success in Sports Award:
Saeed Abdullah Saeed Swaidan – The UAE, Gulf and Arab Champion in Cycling.
Shahad Ahmad Abbas Jumaa – winner of the Golden Medal for Fencing (single) for under 15 years of age, in the Arab Championship.
Ali Abdul Aziz M. Al Fahimi – winner of the Golden Medal in the Asian Cities Chess Championship.
Rashid Ali Ebaid Al Zaheri – the first and the youngest UAE and Arab Racing Driver to win the Formula One European Racing Karts.
Ahmad Anwar Khamis Al Nuaimi – first winner of the Motor Cross Championship in Qatar, and in Oman championship for motorcycle’s in 2015.
Rowadha Essa Rashid Al Serkal – first winner of the Children Asian Chess championship and the fourth winner in the school championship in 2015 (for the seven years old kids category).
An emerging Arab Athlete Achieved Tremendous Success in the Field of Sports Award:
Fatima Saad Mahmoud Al Mashhadani (Archery) Iraq
Athlete Achieved Success within Major Humanitarian Challenges (Disabled Category) Award:
Mohammad Khaled Mohammad (Athletics) Syria
An Athlete Who Achieved Outstanding Successes Award (Arab): Khaira Sidi Ya’coub (Boxing) Algeria
Local Outstanding Intellectual Production in the Sports Field Award: Mohammad Mourad Ali Al Joker (Author/ producer)
Local Organisation Contributed to Community Service Award: Physical Qualification Centre for National Service and backup Authority
An Outstanding Arab Media Sports Initiative Award” The programme ‘Echoes of the stadiums’ (Sada Al malaeb) MBC Channel of Saudi Arabia
