Mansoor bin Mohammed honours winners of the 8th Dubai Sports Excellence Awards

Mansoor bin Mohammed honours winners of the 8th Dubai Sports Excellence Awards

Exceptional performers in Dubai sports clubs and football companies recognised for their excellence

 ‘Pioneers’ honoured for their instrumental role in developing Dubai’s sports sector and strengthening its foundations

Shabab Al Ahli is named Best Football Company and Best Club

Al Nasr gets award for Corporate Efficiency, while Al Wasl wins honour for best pandemic-related initiative

Mahdi Ali picks up Best Coach award; swimmer Yousuf Al Matrooshi is named Best Player and Majid Al Usaimi ‘Best Administrator’

His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Sports Council, honoured the winners of the 8th Dubai Sports Excellence Awards at a glittering ceremony in Madinat Jumeirah’s Al Jawhara Ballroom held today.

Organised by the Dubai Sports Council, the 8th Dubai Sports Excellence Awards recognised outstanding performances and contributions among athletes, clubs and football companies in the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 seasons. Six athletes in the Individual Excellence Category, and five clubs and football companies in the Institutional Excellence Category were honoured. In addition, seven ‘Pioneers’ of sports in Dubai were also honoured at the ceremony alongside four of the season’s leading performers among administrators, athletes, coaches and sports entities.

His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of Dubai Sports Council, also participated in honouring the winners. HE Lieutenant-General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander in Chief of Dubai Police, was present at the ceremony along with leading officials from Dubai Sports Council and other sports councils. Top officials from Dubai’s sports clubs and football companies, as well various national sports federations were also present.

Organised under the slogan ‘Unlimited Ambitions’, the Awards seek to promote excellence in Dubai’s sports sector and implement the strategic directions of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to support and develop the sports sector in Dubai, and ensure it is on par with the best in the world.

The Awards are also part of Dubai Sports Council’s continuous efforts to honour individuals and entities among Dubai’s sports clubs and football companies for their excellence, and for their contributions to raising the overall standards of the industry.

The Awards are among a series of Dubai Sports Council’s initiatives to develop the administrative and technical proficiency of Dubai’s sports clubs and football companies who operate under the umbrella of the Council, and encourage them to embrace innovation and creativity.

Honouring the Pioneers
The ceremony began with recognising ‘Pioneers’ of Sports in Dubai’ for their lifetime contributions. The list of honourees included: Abdulla Abdulrahman Al Shaibani (Al Nasr), Sultan Saqr Al Suwaidi (Shabab Al Ahli), Ahmed Ali Issa (Shabab Al Ahli), Rashid Khamis bin Abar (Al Wasl), Abdul Raheem Obaid Al Badwawi (Hatta Club), Khalfan Hareb Al Falahi (Victory Team and Dubai International Marine Club) and Ali Nasser Bilhaballa (Victory Team and Dubai International Marine Club).

Later in the ceremony, HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed honoured the winners in the individual segment which included two athletes from the People of Determination category - Walid Khalid Hassan (Best Male Athlete of People of Determination in Team Sports), a leading member of both the UAE’s and Dubai Club for People of Determination’s futsal team for the deaf; and shot-putter Ansaf Suhail Al Nuaimi (Best Female Athlete of People of Determination in Individual Sports) for her success on the international stage.

The other winners in the individual category were: handball player Hamad Al Falasi (Best Male Player in Team Sports) for his brilliant role in Shabab Al Ahli’s Vice President’s Cup win; the UAE’s leading female cyclist Safia Mokhtar Al Sayegh (Best Female Player in Individual Sports), who has won more than a dozen international titles over the last two seasons, including the Arab Championship; and Al Nasr’s star sprinter Naseib Salmein Al Zaabi (Best Male Player in Individual Sports), for his performance in the West Asian Athletics Championships and his dominant performance in local competitions.

Al Wasl’s Fabio Lima picked up the award for the Best Football Player for his performance as part of the club team as well as the UAE national team. He played a creditable role in the Whites’ progress to the final round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup’s Asian qualifiers.

Majid Al Usaimi, meanwhile, was honoured as “Best Administrator” for his role as President of the Asian Paralympic Committee and his selection as UNICEF’s first National Ambassador from the UAE.

Mahdi Ali picked up the “Best Coach’ award for leading Shabab Al Ahli Dubai to three titles last season – the President’s Cup, Arabian Gulf Cup and the Arabian Gulf Super Cup.

Al Wasl and UAE swimming ace Yousuf Rashid Al Matrooshi was adjudged the ‘Best Player’ for his performance in a season that saw him win a number of local and regional events, and carry the UAE flag at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympic Games in July. Al Matrooshi also became the first Emirati to break the 50-second barrier in the 100m freestyle.

List of winners of 8th Dubai Sports Excellence Award

The Pioneers
1. Abdulla Abdulrahman Al Shaibani
2. Sultan Saqr Al Suwaidi
3. Ahmed Ali Issa
4. Rashid Khamis bin Abar
5. Abdul Raheem Obaid Al Badwawi
6. Khalfan Hareb Al Falahi
7. Ali Nasser Bilhaballa

Institutional Excellence
• Best Football Company and Club: Shabab Al Ahli Dubai
• Best Sports Games Sector/Company: Shabab Alahli Dubai Sports Club
• Best Specialised Club: Dubai Club for People of Determination
• Best Games Sector/Football Company in Corporate Efficiency: Al Nasr Cultural & Sport Club
• Best initiative (Pandemic related): Al Wasl Sports Club

Individual Excellence:
• Best Football Player: Fabio Virginio de Lima (Al Wasl Football Company)
• Best Male Player in Individual Sports: Naseib Salmein Al Zaabi (Athletics – Al Nasr Cultural & Sport Club)
• Best Female Player in Individual Sports: Safia Mokhtar Al Sayegh (Cycling – Al Nasr Cultural & Sport Club)
• Best Male Player in Team Sports: Hamad Ismail Al Falasi (Handball – Shabab Al Ahli Dubai Sports Club)
• Best Female Athlete of People of Determination in Individual Sports: Ansaf Suhail Al Nuaimi (Athletics - Dubai Club for People of Determination)
• Best Male Athlete of People of Determination in Team Sports: Walid Khalid Hassan (Deaf Futsal - Dubai Club for People of Determination)

Season Achievement
• Best Player: Yousuf Rashid Al Matrooshi (Swimming – Al Wasl Sports Club)
• Best Coach: Mahdi Ali (Shabab Alahli Dubai Football Company)
• Best Administrator: Majid Al Usaimi (Dubai Club for People of Determination)
• Best Institution: Dubai International Marine Club