Maitha first Arab woman to get World Fair Play award

Dubai: Shaikha Maitha Bint Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum became the first Arab woman to receive the prestigious World Fair Play Award earlier this week.

Shaikha Maitha, a gold medallist in the individual over 60kgs category at the recent Pan-Arab Games in Cairo, received her award at the Unesco House in Paris in the presence of Koichiro Matsuura, the general-director of Unesco.

The event is organised by the International Committee for Fair Play (CIFP) as a testament to athletes worldwide who strive to uphold the values of living fairly both on and off the field.

Particular commitment

This award is presented to athletes all over the world for their particular commitment to fair play.

Shaikha Maitha received the World Fair Play Diploma in the category of Sports Career for 2006 in karate.

The awarding ceremony was attended by many important personalities from the sporting world. Henri Sérandour the President of the French Olympic Committee presented the diploma to Shaikha Maitha in the presence of Juan Antonio Samaranch, the honorary president of the CIFP and former president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Shaikha Maitha becomes the first Arab woman to receive this award for excellence on and off the field in karate.

After the presentation, Samaranch noted that "this medal is more in value than a gold medal won at the Olympics. This can be considered a diamond medal."

Among the prize winners are famous champions in men and women sport categories as well as lesser-known athletes, beginners and young people.

Their conviction is to regard fairness as more important than winning at all costs. They provide an ideal for millions of athletes all over the world.