BOA and Jacques Rogge bag MBR Award

The British Olympic Association (BOA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge are among the international recepients of the 4th Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Sports Creativity Awards 2012. The names of various winners were announced by Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of Board of Trustees of the award,Dr.Ahmed AlSharif general Secretary of the award and Dr.Atif Odibat Head of selection committee. Dubai Sports Council at a glittering ceremony at the Hotel InterContinental, Dubai Festival City here on Monday. Among other prominent winners is the UAE’s Abdullah Sultan Al Aryani, who won a gold medal in shooting at the 2012 London Paralympic Games; the Qatar National Olympic Committee; Algeria’s Tawfiq Al Makloufi who took gold in the men’s 1,500m at the London Olympics and special athlete from Morocco Najja Al Kara’a, who set a new world record in the discus throw at the 2012 Paralympic Games. “The winners of this year’s award truly deserve to be rewarded for their commitment in upholding the principles of sports in reaching out to youths so that we can achieve the greater goals of a healthy and safer society,” said Mattar Al Tayer. After three years of having the award for UAE, Gulf and Arab levels, the Dubai Sports Council included a special international category to acknowledge the contribution to sport at the highest level from this year. The BOA has been lauded for fulfilling its mission in transforming British lives through the power of Olympic values along with the recent success of Team GB at the London Olympic and Paralympic Games. Formed in 1905 in the House of Commons, the BOA now includes as its members the 33 national governing bodies of each Olympic sport in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Incidentally, Great Britain is one of only five countries which have been represented at the summer Olympic Games since 1896. IOC President Jacques Rogge has been acknowledged for his commitment to the Olympic Movement through several decisions that he has implemented during his tenure since taking over in July 2001. An orthopaedic surgeon by profession, Rogge competed in yachting and rugby before serving as President of the Belgian Olymmic Committee from 1989 to 1992. He became a member of the IOC in 1991 and joined its Executive Board in 1998. The Belgian has been a strong advocate of creating more possibilities for developing countries to bid for and be host to Olympic Games. This is Rogge’s last year as IOC President as rules do not allow him to re-contest for the top IOC post when elections are held in September 2013. The Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Creative Awards are the first of its kind organised by the Dubai Sports Council in an attempt to recognise and reward the commitment to creativity in various fields of specialization in sports. The award is meant to reflect the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai in the upliftment of society starting from basic principles of fairness and competition through sport. The ceremony of the award will be at 6th of January 2013.