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His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai, President of the UAE National Olympic Committee, and Chairman of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award, alongside His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, today honoured the winners of the 12th edition of the Awardduring a ceremony heldin Madinat Jumeirah.
Recognising excellence across various sports disciplines, the Award celebrated 30 creative athletes, teams, personalities and institutions from across the UAE, the Arab region and the world. The 12th edition of the Award, part of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, drew the largest number of nominations to date, totalling 545 across its diverse categories, which now include a new category specifically for Arab junior athletes.
The Award ceremony was attended by His Highness Sheikh Hasher bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Tennis Federation; His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award; Moaza Al Marri, Secretary General of the Award; Sheikh Abdullah Al Sharqi, President of the UAE Bodybuilding and FitnessFederation; His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA);Major General Ismail Al Gergawi, President of the UAE and Arab Basketball Federation; members of the Award’sBoard of Trustees and heads of local clubs and Arab and international federations.
During the ceremony, Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed honoured His Highness Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman, with the ‘UAE Sports Personality Award’, in recognition of his significant contributions to the advancement of sports in Ajman and the UAE. Notably, he initiated the Ajman Stud for horses, a renowned stable that has garnered numerous titles in world championships for horse beauty.Sheikh Humaid bin Ammar Al Nuaimi received the award on behalf of the Crown Prince of Ajman.
HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed also presented the 'Outstanding Successes Award' to Russian Habib Nour Mohammedaov for his remarkable achievements in martial arts. Mohammedaov has clinched the World Mixed Martial Arts Championship title multiple times and boasts the longest unbeaten record, securing victories in 29 consecutive matches. Notably, he is the first Muslim to achieve the title of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
His Highness also honoured Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, withthe ‘International Sports Personality Award’, for guiding FIFA through a transformative era, implementing groundbreaking technologies and initiatives that have profoundly impacted the sport.
During the ceremony, His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed also presented trophies to several awardees, including Sheikh Talal Al Fahad Al Subah, named the ‘Arab Sports Personality’ for his remarkable contributions to sports development in Kuwait and across the region.
Sheikh Mansoor also honoured the Dubai Horse Racing Club with ‘The UAE Organization Award’, presenting the trophy to Rashid bin Dalmook bin Juma Al Maktoum, the Club's Chairman. Additionally, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) received the ‘International Organization Award’, and Sheikh Saud Bin Ali Al Thani, the President of FIBA, accepted the trophy on behalf of the federation.
Sheikh Mansoor also recognised the outstanding achievements of six winners in ‘The UAE Youth Award’ across various sports. The recipients include Sultan Saleh Mohammed (shooting), Ahmed Khalid Al Abdouli (taekwondo), Mira Abdulla Al Shihi (swimming), Zamzam Mohammed Al Hammadi (jiu-jitsu), Alhayam Saif Al Blooshi (fencing), and Saeed Mahmoud Al Awadhi (water cycling).
The Chairman of Dubai Sports Council alsohonoured the winners in the 'Arab Junior Athletes' category, a recent addition to the Award categories. The distinguished winners include Hanaa Ayman Juwdat from Egypt (table tennis), Abdul Aziz Al Saif from Saudi Arabia (karate), Noor Sahnoon from Tunisia (tennis), Abderahim Medjahed from Algeria (judo), Malak Al Alami from Morocco (tennis), and Ahmed Ibrahim Shamaa from Syria (weightlifting).
Sheikh Mansoor also recognised the winners of 'The UAE Athlete Award,' which was jointly awarded to Salem Hamad Al Kitbi and Khalid Mohammed Al Shihi. Salem Hamad Al Kitbi secured gold and silver medals at the World Endurance Championship in 2021 and 2022. Khalid Mohammed Al Shihi achieved gold medals in the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship for Adults in 2022 and 2023, in addition to three gold medals in the World Youth Jiu-Jitsu Championship from 2021 to 2023. He holds the top global ranking in the 62 kg youth and senior categories.
‘The UAE Administrator Award’ went to His Excellency Abdel Moneim Al Hashemi, Chairman of the UAE and Asian Jiu-Jitsu Federation, First Deputy President of the Jiu-Jitsu International Federation, and Chairman of Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Association for Professionals – AJP in recognition of his remarkable contribution to the development of the sport of Jiu-Jitsu.The award was accepted on his behalf by Mohammed Salem Al Dhaheri, Vice President of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation.
Sheikh Mansoor also honoured other winners, including the UAE National Show Jumping Team, recipient of ‘The UAE Team Award’. Additionally, ‘The Arab Athlete Award’ was shared by Khadija Mardhi from Morocco and Ghufran Bel Khair from Tunisia.
'The Creative Athlete' in the People of Determination category was awarded to Algerian Nasima Safi. She secured the gold medal at the World Para Athletics Championship in 2023, adding to her remarkable tally of 4 Olympic medals and 8 international medals.‘The Arab Team Award’ went to the Moroccan National Team for its stunning showing as the first Arabian and African National Team to achieve historical results during its participation in the FIFA World Cup Finals.
Furthermore, ‘The Arab Administrator Award’ went to Mohammed Hassan Al Shammari of Iraq in recognition of his groundbreaking role as the first Iraqi, Arabian, and Asian leader to be appointed as the chairperson of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) since its inception.
At the end of the ceremony, Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, delivered a keynote address on behalf of the honourees where he expressed gratitude to HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for his steadfast commitment to developing the sports sector both regionally and globally. Furthermore, he lauded the efforts of the Organising Committee of the Award, which has evolved into a global platform celebrating sports excellence.
Awards partners and sponsors
Ahead of theaward ceremony, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed and His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed, met with partners and sponsors of the Award, in the presence of HE Mattar Al Tayer. The meeting wasattended by Sheikh Majid Al Mualla, Divisional Senior Vice President, International Affairs at Emirates Airlines; HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer; Issam Galadari, Board Member and MD at Nakheel; and Naaman Atallah, Group Chief Executive Officer of Nakheel.Also present were Mohammed Al Muallem, Executive Vice President at DP World, and Yousef Jawad Al Redha, CEO of the Corporate Administration Support Services Sector, RTA.
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