16 winners of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award 2013 announced

The Board of Trustees of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award (MBR) has announced 16 winners of the fifth edition.

MBR is the largest award in terms of value and categories, and the first of its kind ever devoted to creativity in action sports.

Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bent Mubarak, the Chairperson of the General Women's Union, Supreme Chairperson of the Family Development Foundation, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Motherhood has been selected as the 'Local Sports Figure' of the Year in the United Arab Emirates, in recognition of her major role in developing sports across the country by supporting and sponsoring sports events that enhanced the UAE prestige on the sporting world map.

Sheikh Salman Bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, president of the Asian Football Confederation, has been selected as the 'Arab Sports Figure' and IOC President Thomas Bach as the 'International Sports Figure'.

Nawal El Moutawakel, the first Arab woman to reach the post of the Vice-President of the IOC (International Olympic Commmittee) won the award of 'Arab Sports Figure contributed to the enrichment of women Sports' as an appreciation to her contributions in encouraging women's sports movement.
 
The Board of Trustees nominated those candidates in recognition of their role in leading and developing the sports movement and for their outstanding achievements.
 
This announcement came during a press conference held on Sunday in the presence of Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Mustapha Larafaoui, Member of the Board of Trustees and President of the Jury, Dr. Ahmad Al Sharif, Secretary General of the MBR Award, and Nasser Aman Al Rahma, the Award Director.
 
Al Tayer said: "This Award was inspired from the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, with a view to honour the overachievers in sports on the local, regional and international levels. It is considered a unique addition in sports as it is the first of its kind which recognises sports creativity based on quality, excellence and leadership.

"The number of candidate reached 226 with increase in quantity and quality than all the previous editions, as the participation of international federations exceeded 93 per cent, an indicator of the success of the award at the global level."

Al Tayer also noted that the MBR Award is sponsored by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Sports Council, and has been supported by Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the National Olympic Committee, and the Chairman of the Award.

The awarding ceremony is scheduled to be held on January 6 2014 at the Dubai World Trade Centre's Sheikh Rashid Ballroom, at which the winners will be honoured and handed their medals of excellence.

At the United Arab Emirates level, Sultan Ali Mohammed Al Taher, has won the 'Best Referee Award' for being Chairman of the referees of the world championship Grand Prix Women's Chess for three consecutive years; and the 'Victory Team 3' for men has won the Team Creativity Award after winning the World Cup for Powerboat Racing first class 12 times, including six times in a row.

Mouataz Essa M. Barsham of Qatar has won the 'Arab Athlete Award' after winning the silver medal in high jump (2.38m) at the World Athletic Championships held in Moscow 2013, while Al Ahly Club (Egypt), has won the 'Arab Team Award' for winning the African Champions League in 2012 for the sevent time.

The 'Sports Institute, the Pierre de Coubertin' (Tunisia) has won the Creative Arab Foundation Award for providing appropriate conditions to reap the sports titles on the international level and to ensure academic excellence for the students of the Institute.
 
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has won the 'International Organization – International Category Award' in recognition of their efforts in the joint campaign which aims to highlight the work of the federation in the world 'For the Game. For the World'.

The award for Emirati athlete who achieved international successes was given to Khalifa Sultan Jaber Al Metawi in recognition of his achievement in winning the World Desert Rally Championship 2012/First Category TI.

Karar Mohammad Jawad (Iraq), who achieved tremendous success in sports field, was awarded Arab Emerging Athlete.

The title of the same category at the UAE level is competed by six emerging athletes on the directives of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of Dubai Sports Council, and Patron of the award to support and honour the distinguished juniors.

The emerging athletes’ names have been submitted for public vote in collaboration with Dubai Sports Channel to select the best three of them.

The athletes are: Abdullah Ghanem Al Merri, number one in the world ranking for the 2013 season of endurance, according to the International Equestrian Federation; Saif Mohammed Al Maasam Al Falasi, the world, Europe and UAE Jet Ski champion of 2012; Khalifa Mohammed Murad, world champion in Jujitsu for juniors in 2012 and 2013; Khalifa Ali Al Jahouri, the winner of the youth and emerging endurance races championship gold medal in France in 2013; Fahd Abbas Abdul Razzaq, gold medallist at Asia's singles tennis for juniors in Qatar 2012; and Aisha Sarhan Al Maaini, the Schools Olympiad champion of Chess in Bulgaria, Asia and the Arab Championship and the best emerging player in the schools Olympiad in Russia.

Ameen Al Shantoof has won an appreciation award for the category of an "athlete who achieved success in sports despite major humanitarian challenges,” while the United Nations, Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Olympic Solidarity Commission of Switzerland have won the award of “International Sports Foundation achieved success based on values”.

The Golf In Dubai has won the award of “Sports Foundation with successful creative initiative contributed to the enrichment of the sports movement” for promoting Dubai as one of the leading destinations and become a world leader in golf.

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