Page 18 - GAS PR REPORT - December 2023

1/2/24, 8:49 AM WAM - Emirates News Agency

UAE celebrates its 2022 sports champions at 17th annual honouring ceremony

Thursday, December 21, 2023 6:07 PM2 minutes Reading

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ABU DHABI, 21st December, 2023 (WAM) -- Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President,
Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, the General Authority of Sports (GAS) organised its 17th annual ceremony

to honour the UAE's sports champions for 2022.
Held in Abu Dhabi, the ceremony saw H.H. Sheikh Theyab bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of Al Wahda Sports and Cultural Club, honour
152 athletes across 10 sports federations, who secured over 140 gold, silver, and bronze medals at various international, continental and
regional competitions during 2022. Accolades and financial rewards were further distributed to 116 players along with 12 coaches, 11
administrators, 10 heads of delegations and 3 referees.
This annual ceremony featured the participation of Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Education and Chairman of the GAS, and
Saeed Abdul Ghaffar Hussain, Director-General of the GAS, as well as several officials and representatives from the sports sector.

Dr. Al Falasi expressed his gratitude to the UAE leadership for the support provided to grow the sports sector and empower the nation's
youth to excel in the field.
He highlighted key and innovative initiatives that help drive the sector, including the National Sports Strategy 2031, the country’s first
comprehensive sports sector strategy which includes 17 ambitious projects aimed at enhancing the UAE's sports' global presence.
Al Falasi added, “The impressive accomplishments of the country’s youth serve as a testament to the constant progress of UAE sports,
which is a result of the concerted efforts of our partners in the sports sector. These efforts are aimed at achieving national objectives and
supporting sporting successes."
The UAE Jiu-jitsu Federation secured the top spot on the list of most achieving federations in 2022 with 41 world medals comprising 17
gold, 13 silver and 11 bronze medals. Meanwhile, the National Paralympic Committee earned the largest share of the prize, with the

paralympic athletes Mohamed Alhammadi and Abdulla Sultan Alaryani recognised as world-record holders, earning them special
recognition and financial rewards.

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