Al Ain and UAE midfielder Subait Khater was named the UAE best player of the year. Subait was awarded a special trophy and Dh10,000 as a prize money at the UAE Football Association's closing ceremony held yesterday at Rashid bin Hamdan indoor sports hall at the Al Nasr club.

Subait was selected the UAE best player by a special committee formed by the FA. since he helped them to win the President Cup and the GCC clubs championship and for his show for UAE which reached the World Cup qualifiers' second round.

Subait expressed his happiness to win the UAE best player award. "It's a great pleasure for me to become UAE' best footballer. This award will encourage me to double my efforts." said Subait.

The other players who were honoured in the FA function yesterday were : Saeed Juma of Al Jazira as the best goalkeeper, Khalid Darwish Al Wasl midfielder as the best young player; Qatari striker Mohamed Salim Ennazy as the First division league top scorer with 22 goals. Each of them received a special trophy, and a Dh10,000 prize money.

Sultan Saqr Al Suwaidi, the General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare, Ahmed Al Fardan the second deputy chairman national Olympic committee, Mattar Al Tayer, the UAE Football Association secretary general, the UAE FA board of director members, and other sports dignitaries, and the clubs representitives attended the FA closing ceremony.

Mattar Al Tayer congratulated the clubs that won the FA championships and wished good luck for others in the coming season.

"We passed through the longest season in the UAE football in recent years, it began in September 2000, and ended in the first week of June 2001. We organised 1560 matches in all categories, President Cup, FA Cup, First and second division league, Youth under 19, 17, 15, and under 13 league and Cup tournaments, also the national teams senior and youth team official and warm up matches."

Al Tayer claimed that the UAEFA have excellent referees. "Our referees are of the best in Asia and the Arab countries. We have 17 FIFA referees and assistant referees, and we have 140 referees which is a magnificent sign for the referees future in the UAE," claimed the FA general secretary.

Sultan Saqr, Ahmed Fardan, Mattar Al Tayer, distributed the trophies to the winning clubs.
Awards: Al Wahda FA Cup and League champions. Al Ain President's Cup champions. Al Khaleej winners of the second division league. Youth under 19 First division Baniyas.

Youth second division Al Shaab. Youth Cup Al Ain. Youth under 16 First division Al Ain. Youth second division Al Shaab. Youth Cup Al Ain. Youth under 15 Al Ain. Juniors under 13 Al Ain.
The Fair play trophies awarded to, First divisin Al Ain.

Second division Hatta. Youth under 19 First division Al Ittihad. Youth second division Al Khaleej. Youth under 17 First division Al Orouba. Youth second division Al Shaab. Youth under 15 Al Ahli. Youth under 13 Al Khaleej.