Page 12 - GAS PR REPORT - December 2023

Press Release

UAE celebrates its sports champions for 2022 at 17 Annual
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Sports Achievers Ceremony

UAE, December 21, 2023- 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 General Authority
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of Sports organised the 17 Annual Sports Achievers Ceremony in Abu Dhabi to honour the
achievements of UAE sports champion for 2022.

This 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. In addition, several
Their Excellencies, 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, also participated in this ceremony.

His Excellency Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi 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. H.E. stated: “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.”

In his opening statement, he said: “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.”