QOC president His Excellency Sheikh Joaan speaks during the ceremony.On a day when Qatar Olympic Committee stepped into a new sporting journey, the governing body also recognised the contribution of its sporting heroes.
At the Qatar National Convention Centre yesterday, QOC honoured its athletes, handing out awards in different categories, an acknowledgement for bringing glory to Qatar in the past season.
After QOC President His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani put words to the glittering milieu of bonhomie and spirit with his introductory address, athletes, sports federations and officials were felicitated at QOC’s annual Sport Excellence Awards.
Predictably, it was Qatar’s high jump hero Mutaz Barshim who walked away with the Male Athlete of the Season award. Barshim is a legend in Qatar, having already leaped the sporting success seldom seen in the Middle East.
The 26-year-old won the World Championship in London in August, to add to his Rio Olympic silver last year and bronze at the 2012 London Games. Barshim is in the quest for Javier Sotomayor’s 2.45m world record and is determined to break one of the longest standing marks in athletics.
The Female Athlete of the Season award went to Sara al-Manaei for having won two gold medals in shot put and javelin throw at last year’s Junior Arab Athletics Championships.
Qatar equestrian team was chosen as the men’s team of the season. The team consisting of Sheikh Ali bin Khalid al-Thani, Bassem Hassan Mohamed, Ali Yousef al-Rumaihi and Faleh Susead al-Ajami made history by qualifying for Rio Olympics during the Furusiyya 2015 FEI Nations Cup Jumping series in Abu Dhabi.
Facing experienced teams from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the Qatari team stunned the crowd by grabbing the sole qualifying spot for the Rio 2016 Games from the event. In Rio, Qatar finished ninth in the team event while Sheikh Ali finished an impressive sixth in the individual event.
The Qatari skeet shooters were declared women’s team of the season. The trio of Sarah Mohamed, Hajar Mohamed and Reem al-Sharshani had won the skeet event at Asian Shotgun Championship in Abu Dhabi last year. They also picked up a bronze medal at the 49th CISM World Military Shooting Championship held in Doha.
Promising Male Athlete of the Season award was split by weightlifter Fares Ibrahim and 400m runner Abdalelah Haroun. Rower Tala Abduljabbar was named as Promising Female Athlete of the Season.
Ibrahim had a breakthrough year in 2016 with a bronze medal at the World Youth Championships. He finished eighth in the 85kg category at Rio Olympics, which had seen a field full of experienced lifters and won three gold medals at the Asian Junior Weightlifting Championships.
On the other hand, Haroun lived up to his reputation as a young athlete of great promise by winning bronze in 400m at the IAAF World Championships in London in August. The 20-year-old former world junior champion clocked 44.48 seconds with a stunning late surge to finish on the podium.
Two years ago, Haroun had won the gold medal at the Asian Championships in Wuhan, China, and a silver at the World Indoor Championships in Portland, USA.
The para-athlete awards went to Abdulrahman Abdulqader and Sara Masoud in the men’s and women’s categories respectively.
Abdulqader had won gold in the men’s shot put (F34) event at the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships in July, while Sarah had claimed silver in the women’s shot put (F33). Last year, Abdulqader had become the first Qatari medallist in the history of the Paralympics when he won the silver medal at Rio Paralympic Games.
Meanwhile, Ahmed Ali al-Ansari won the Service to Sport Award for his huge contribution to the development of youth sport in Qatar.
(From left, behind) Asian shooting medallist Khulood al-Khalaf, Qatar’s first two-time female Olympian Nada Arakji, Olympic showjumping finalist Sheikh Ali al-Thani, high jump world champion Mutaz Barshim and Paralympic silver medallist Abdulrahman Abdelqader at the ceremony yesterday.
(From left, behind) Asian shooting medallist Khulood al-Khalaf, Qatar’s first two-time female Olympian Nada Arakji, Olympic showjumping finalist Sheikh Ali al-Thani, high jump world champion Mutaz Barshim and Paralympic silver medallist Abdulrahman Abdelqader at the ceremony yesterday.Awardee list
GOLDEN FEDERATION
Qatar Athletics Federation
OUTSTANDING FEDERATION
Qatar Swimming Federation
MEN’S TEAM OF THE SEASON
Qatar Equestrian Team
WOMEN’S TEAM OF THE SEASON
Qatar Skeet Shooting Team
MALE ATHLETE OF THE SEASON
Mutaz Barshim
FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE SEASON
Sara al-Manaei
PROMISING MALE ATHLETE OF THE SEASON
Fares Ibrahim, Qatar Weightlifting and Fencing Federation
Abdalelah Haroun, Qatar Athletics Federation
PROMISING FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE SEASON
Tala Abduljabbar, Qatar Sailing and Rowing Federation
NATIONAL COACH OF THE SEASON
Khalifa Ali al-Kubaisi, Bowling
PROFESSIONAL COACH OF THE SEASON
Hassan Bu Thalja, Qatar Paralympic Association
MALE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE SEASON
Khalifa Abdulmalek
FEMALE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE SEASON
Al Anoud al-Naimi, Shooting
REFEREE OF THE SEASON
Ibrahim al-Ni’mah, Volleyball
MALE PARA-ATHLETE OF THE SEASON
Abdulrahman Abdulqader
FEMALE PARA-ATHLETE OF THE SEASON
Sara Masoud
HORSE OWNER OF THE SEASON
HH Sheikh Abdulla bin Khalifa al-Thani, Owner of Umm Qarn Farms
JOCKEY OF THE SEASON
Faleh Bughanaim
QATARI HORSE TRAINER OF THE SEASON
Ibrahim Said al-Malki
CAMEL TRAINER OF THE SEASON
Mohamed bin Khalid al-Attiyah, Al Shihannyah Hijin
CAMEL OWNER OF THE SEASON
Nasser bin Abdulla Al Mesnd
SERVICE TO SPORT
Ahmed Ali al-Ansari
DISTINGUISHED GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTION IN SUPPORTING SPORT
Ministry of Education and Higher Education
DISTINGUISHED COMPANY IN SUPPORTING SPORT
Ooredoo
DISTINGUISHED GOVERNMENTAL
INSTITUTION IN ORGANISING SOCIAL SPORT PROGRAMMES
Katara Cultural Village
DISTINGUISHED INSTITUTION IN ORGANISING SOCIAL SPORT PROGRAMMES
Qatari Red Crescent
SPORT CREATIVITY
Oola Sportswear
