Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship scooped four awards at the coveted Sports Industry Awards (SPIA) to underline its position as the region’s leading sporting event.
The Championship, which celebrated its tenth anniversary earlier this year, won the ‘Best Live Experience at a Professional Sports Event’ for the third year in a row and was also awarded gold for the ‘Best Integrated Sports Marketing Campaign’. Capping a stunning night for Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), which owns and organises the Championship, the event won two Silver awards for ‘Best Use of PR in Sport’ and ‘Best Use of Social media in Sport’.
With the winners decided upon by a select panel of industry experts from some of the Middle East’s leading sports brands, organisations and facilities, the Championship’s commitment to grow and develop over the past decade was recognised by a room of more than 500 VIPs and guests.
“Our achievements at the 2015 SPIA awards are a strong endorsement of our hard work and dedication over the past ten years,” said Faisal Al Shaikh, Director of Events Bureau for TCA Abu Dhabi. “We have consistently strived to deliver the best possible experience for the players and spectators, and along with our partners HSBC, we are truly proud of the position the Championship now holds on the global sporting map.”
More than 65,000 visited the National Course over the four days of the Championship in January, which saw Frenchman Gary Stal, ranked 357 in the world before the Championship, overturn an eight shot deficit against final day favourite Martin Kaymer to take an unexpected, but well deserved victory. The surprise result continued the Championship’s positioning of ‘Expect the Unexpected’.
