French soccer star Sakho wins ‘Sports Footprint award’

Under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, chairman of the executive council of Dubai, Sheikh Hasher Bin Maktoum Bin Juma Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Media Corporation, honoured the French international soccer star, Mamadou Sakho, founder of the “Amsak Donation” charity initiative, with the “Sports Footprint” award, in recognition of his efforts in supporting the needy and constructing stadiums in Africa, as well as supporting charitable institutions of public interest, including “Noor Dubai” Foundation, as part of the ceremony honouring the winners of the tenth edition of the Watani Al Emarat Award for Humanitarian Work

The Dubai Sports Council congratulated the French star, Mamadou Sakho, for winning the prestigious award, which represents Emirati appreciation for what this star is doing, who played for some of top European football clubs, included Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain, as well as the French national teams from the age of under 16 years to the first national team, and he won respect and appreciation from everyone.

He also continued his giving outside the field and launched the ‘AMSAK DONATION’ initiative, in which he used his good relations with international players, public entities and his fame to collect money donation to support charitable projects and the needy in the sports and humanitarian fields in Africa and become a role model for other players and celebrities around the world in this field.

The Dubai Sports Council confirmed that Sakho’s initiative embodies the values of giving to needy children and all people, which are the values that the “Sports footprint Award” bears. Therefore, he deserved to win the fourth edition of this award to be the first international sports star to win the award in appreciation of his fundraising campaigns and organisation of charitable auctions to sale collectibles items of big stars and donate the money to the needy.

“AMSAK DONATION” organised in November 2022 in Dubai an exhibition match that brought together some of the top players and stars. He also organised a charity auction attended by many international football stars, in which many items of most important international football stars were sold, and the auction revenues were allocated to support the projects of the Noor Dubai Foundation which helps those in need of treatment in Africa and around the world.

The Dubai Sports Council also urged all players in the UAE of various nationalities to follow the path of giving and supporting those in need in the world through initiatives like what the star Mamadou Sakho did.

Sakho expressed his feeling of pride and happiness to win this award, which supports the values of giving and supporting the needy around the world and said that a person should not forget God’s grace upon him when he gave him the good that makes him live a decent life, and therefore he must return this debt and support the needy, especially that a person who lives one life has to leave a good contribution and an important trace that will be remembered after death.

Sakho also said during his visit to the Nad Al Sheba Sports Complex and his follow-up to the International Padel Championship and the Volleyball Championship within the Nas Sports Tournament that he is looking forward to continuing cooperation with institutions in Dubai that support children and the needy, and said that he visits Dubai several times a year, where he feels that he is in his second home and feels happy to meet former and current players and various community figures.