Awardees pose with QOC secretary general Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, Arab Sports Press Association president Mohamed Jalil Abdelkadir and QOC officials yesterday. PICTURES: Othman al-Samaraee
By Sports Reporter/Doha
In a glittering ceremony, Qatari track and field star Mutaz Barshim bagged the coveted Arab Sportsman of the Year award at Arab Sports Press Association (ASPA) Referendum Ceremony yesterday.
Tunisian handball star Mona al-Sabah picked up the Arab Sportswoman of Year award while Algeria claimed the Best Arab Sports Team for their performance in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, where they reached the round of 16.
The ceremony was hosted by the Qatar Sports Press Committee at Doha’s St. Regis Hotel.
In contention along with Barshim were Tunisian swimming great Oussama Mellouli and star show jumper Abdelkebir Ouaddar of Morocco.
Archer Fatimah Almashhadaani, Egyptian javelin thrower Ihab Abdelrahman El Sayed and Mariam Jamalelldein of Bahrain were in contention for the Arab Sportswoman of the Year award.
Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) secretary general Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman al-Thani and Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) secretary general Hassan al-Thawadi were present at the ceremony.
The ceremony also saw the presence of Qatar Sports Press Committee board members Mohamed Abdulaziz Turki al-Subae, Mohamed Hamad al-Hanzab al-Marri, Mubarak al-Boainin, Khalid Jassem, Abdullah Mohamed Lozain al-Marri and Dr Mohamed Awada, apart from ASPA president Mohamed Jalil Abdelkadir, and noted sports journalists Jaber al-Harami and Issa bin Abdulla al-Hitmi.
At the occasion, Sheikh Saoud said, “I wish for Qatari and Arab athletes to work hard, to do well and make it to the Rio Olympics next year,” adding, “Press and media are important for the growth of sports.”
He shed light on the activities of QOC and various sports federations in the country, specifically mentioning the Schools Olympic Programme, Anti-Doping Lab Qatar (ADLQ) and Qatar Olympic Academy, and over 50 international events that will be hosted by Qatar over the year.
SC secretary general al-Thawadi spoke about their efforts in ensuring that 2022 FIFA World Cup is a success. “A lot of work is going on, stadiums, infrastructure, but it is not just about 2022. The work will continue beyond that. The idea is to leave a legacy for Qatari people and the Arab world. Hosting the 2022 World Cup, we will be building bridges between the region and the other continents,” he said.
Al-Thawadi also mentioned about Challenge 2022, which is a competition for ideas and innovations and has already seen close to 300 participants from across GCC. Ideas generated through this competition will be implemented at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the winners will be given a job in Qatar.
For his part, ASPA president Abdelkadir thanked the hosts for a great show yesterday.
Awardees
Arab Sportsman of the Year: Mutaz Barshim (Qatar, track and field)
Arab Sportswoman of the Year: Mona al-Sabah (Tunisia, handball)
Best Arab Sports Team: Algeria (Football)
Best Arab Figure: Sheikh Issa Ben Rached al-Khalifa (Bahrain)
Best Arab Media Figure: Issa bin Abdulla al-Hitmi (Qatar)
