MBR Creative Sports Award extends deadline for nominations

Nominations for the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award, one of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, keep pouring in from domestic applicants as well as from the Arab region and the world, in every category.

Nominations for the 11th season of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award, which is one of the leading initiative of its kind in the world offering Dhs7.5 million in prize money, will be accepted until Sept.15, 2021, and the winners will be honoured at a glittering awards ceremony in January, 2022.

Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award, said: “Under the directives of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai and Patron of the Award, and Sheikh Ahmed Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the UAE National Olympic Committee and President of the Award, it has been decided to keep the window of nominations for the 11th edition of the award open until Sept.15 in order to give an opportunity to Emirati and Arab athletes, who have been successful at the Summer Olympics and the Paralympic Games in Tokyo, to file their nominations for the Award.

“The decision was made in order to recognise the achievements of Olympic and Paralympic athletes and honour them in a befitting manner, and also in the belief that it will have a great effect on raising the morale of athletes who will be competing at these Games, and it will be an added incentive for them to do well on the greatest stage in international sport.”

Tayer added: “The award also seeks to appreciate and honour local, Arab and international sports institutions who have launched initiatives, programs and creative projects that seek to empower societies through sports, and contribute towards facing global challenges in the sports sphere. This stipulation includes all the elements of administrative and institutional excellence, and supports the efforts of Emirati, Arab and international federations, organizations and sports institutions in devising solutions to meet challenges, including initiatives launched to successful meet the challenges of COVID-19 or other challenges around the globe.”

The Chairman of the Board of Trustees said that despite suspension of sports activity in most regions of the world during the recent period due to COVID-19, the Award has continued to communicate with international sports federations and Olympic committees in order to encourage sports sector in the UAE and Arab countries, as well as around the globe, to reopen their sports sector with comprehensive COVID-19 precautionary measures and protocols in place, which makes sure the health and safety of athletes is not compromised, and at the same time, it gives them opportunities to compete and to keep improving their levels.

The award is linked to communication and cooperation with 204 National Olympic Committees, 178 Paralympic Committees, 33 international sports federations for summer Olympic sports and seven international sports federations for winter Olympic sports, as well as with 69 Arab national Olympic federations and committees, and 34 international federations recognized by the International Olympic Committee.