Terengganu, Malaysia: The King of Malaysia, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abideen Bin Al Marhum Sultan Mahmoud, has granted His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the 'Godfather of the World Endurance Championship' award in recognition of Shaikh Mohammad's great contribution and support for the sport.
The Malaysian monarch, who is also chairman of the higher organising committee of the World Endurance Championship, granted the title to Shaikh Mohammad on behalf of all participants in the race.
Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince, accepted the award on behalf of his father from Sultan Mohammad, the brother of the Malaysian king, during a ceremony attended by a number of officials and organisers of the race.
Great knight
Mohammad Saleh Nour, deputy chairman of the organising committee of the World Endurance Championship, said the award was an international sports honour being granted to the most significant personalities in recognition of their great contributions in sustaining the sport internationally.
He said the award was the least the committee can award to "a great knight who exerted great efforts in support of endurance championship and put all his experience on the table to help lift the sport to greater heights".