Sharjah 24 – WAM: Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai and Patron of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award, Saturday congratulated the winners of the eleventh edition of the Award.

An Award ceremony to be held at Expo 2020 Dubai on 9 January will bring together the sporting world’s most creative individuals and entities. Launched in 2009, the first ever award that honours creativity in sport, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award, part of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, is the largest award of its kind in the world in terms of both prize money and diversity of categories.

Sheikh Hamdan said: "In accordance with the leadership’s vision for the future and commitment to nurturing creativity in all spheres of life, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award has been honouring individuals who have made significant creative contributions to sports including players, coaches and administrators in the UAE and the Arab world, Emirati and Arab sports teams and Emirati, Arab and international sports institutions. Apart from honouring exceptional innovators in all aspects of sports, the Award is keen to support initiatives that enhance the status of sports across the world in line with one of the key objectives of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives to empower societies to advance their development."

Expo 2020 Dubai will host the ceremony to honour the 11th edition of the Award, which coincides with the 50th Anniversary of the Union and the Golden Jubilee of the founding of the UAE. The Award celebrated the occasion by issuing a coin bearing the image of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and the name of the Award in cooperation with the Central Bank of the UAE, as well as a commemorative stamp in cooperation with Emirates Post.

He added: "Dubai has always fostered creativity in all its forms to enhance excellence in various spheres of life including sport. Creativity is vital to the progress of nations and cultures and a major driving force for shaping a brighter future. By celebrating innovators in the sporting field, Dubai seeks to enable role models in the sector to promote an ethos of creativity worldwide. The Award recognises the efforts of creative individuals who have overcome formidable challenges to make remarkable contributions to sport. Despite the exceptional situation the world has faced over the last two years, the outstanding individuals who are being recognised by the Award have transformed challenges into opportunities to strive for greater levels of creativity and performance. I wish all the Award winners even greater success in their sports careers."

The ceremony to honour the winners of the eleventh edition of the Award organised at the South Hall of the Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo 2020 Dubai will bring together leading sports figures, teams and institutions including Arab champions who took part in the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo. The Award will also honour six young athletes from the UAE in accordance with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, and the Patron of the Award, and His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the National Olympic Committee and Chairman of the Award.