Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court, and in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the 17th Annual Sports Achievers Ceremony, organised by the General Authority of Sports, has honoured the achievements of UAE sports champions for 2022 at Mubadala Arena.
The annual ceremony featured the participation of His Excellency Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Education, Chairman of the General Authority of Sport, and His Excellency Saeed Abdul Ghaffar Hussain, Director General of the General Authority of Sports, as well as a number of officials, representatives of sports as well as strategic partners from the National Olympic Committee, sports councils, members of the Sports Coordinating Council and Chairpersons of Sports Federations.
Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Education, Chairman of the General Authority of Sport expressed his gratitude to His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his unlimited support and interest in sponsoring the ceremony and honouring the winners. This echoes the significance that the wise leadership of the UAE attributes to the sports sector to empower the nation's youth to fulfil their aspirations by supporting efforts that help achieve leadership and success in the UAE in a variety of disciplines, including sports.
His Excellency extended his congratulations to the honourable federations and champions of the UAE on their exceptional accomplishments, which have contributed to elevating the Emirati sport to a prestigious status, earning recognition across several regional, continental, and international sports forums.
Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Education, Chairman of the General Authority of Sport said: “We would like to take this opportunity to express our deepest pride for the UAE sports champions for 2022, who are well-deserving of the Sports Achievement Award. We seek to encourage them to achieve more accolades and medals as well as raise the UAE's flag high in all future sports occasions, in line with the support and vision of our wise leadership to enhance the sports sector in the country.”
“The UAE sport has witnessed qualitative leaps and constant developments that have contributed to constructing a flexible and integrated institutional framework, inspired and fuelled by the ambitions and aspirations of our wise leadership. Over the past few years, a number of significant and innovative initiatives have been introduced to accelerate the nation’s sports development journey. Among these initiatives is the National Sports Strategy 2031, which is the country’s first comprehensive sports sector strategy and includes 17 ambitious projects aimed at enhancing the UAE's sports' global presence. In addition, we have also witnessed the promulgation of the Sports Law and the Emirates Commission for Elite and High-Level Sport, the project of transformation of sports federations.
“The impressive accomplishments of the country’s youth serve as a testament to the constant progress of the UAE sports, which is a result of the concerted efforts of the partners in the sports sector in the country. These efforts are aimed at achieving national objectives and supporting sporting successes. In order to advance UAE sport in the future, we will continue launching a number of innovative projects and initiatives under the National Sports Strategy 2031.”
Additionally, His Excellency expressed his delight in the athletes’ accomplishments and stated that he is proud to recognise those who transformed aspirations and goals into reality, significantly boosting the competitiveness of the UAE in the world of sports.
The ceremony honoured 152 athletes from 10 sports federations who secured over 140 gold, silver, and bronze medals at various international, continental and regional competitions during 2022. Accolades and prizes were distributed to 116 players along with 12 coaches, 11 administrators, 10 heads of delegations and 3 referees.
The UAE Jiu-jitsu Federation has secured the top spot among the list of the most achieving federations in 2022 with 41 world medals comprising 17 gold, 13 silver and 11 bronze medals. Meanwhile, the National Paralympic Committee earned the largest share of the value of the prize, with the paralympic athletic player Mohamed al-Hammadi and paralympic shooting player Abdullah Sultan Al-Aryani being recognised as world record holders with special honouring and exceptional financial rewards.
