The winners of the prestigious Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Awards have been honored in Dubai, UAE

14 January 2016, Lausanne, Switzerland ~ HE Sheikh Khalid Bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, Kingdom of Bahrain, FEI 2nd Vice President, member of the FEI Executive Board and President of FEI Regional Group VII, was awarded the Arab Administrator Award – Kingdom of Bahrain.

FEI Honorary President and Goodwill Ambassador, HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein,  was also honored with the Local Sports Figure award in recognition of her outstanding work as FEI President during 2006 to 2014, and for establishing the FEI’s global sport development program, FEI Solidarity.

FEI Solidarity, launched in 2011 and inspired by the Olympic Solidarity model, is focused on providing opportunities for the next generation of athletes and all those working in equestrian communities around the world, so that local structures can be established to develop the sport.

The FEI was not the only International Federation to be recognised at the awards ceremony. The International Judo Federation, also with a base in the Olympic capital of Lausanne, was presented with the International Organization Award for its efforts in bringing judo and its values to children in Syrian refugee camps.

“For the FEI, it is particularly gratifying to see FEI Solidarity recognized in the award to our Honorary President Princess Haya, and to see our 2nd Vice President Sheikh Khalid honored. It is good to see their services and commitment to equestrian sport getting this recognition”, said Ingmar De Vos, FEI President and FEI Solidarity Chair. “Speaking on behalf of the international equestrian community, I would like to congratulate all the athletes, teams and sports institutions who put their hearts and souls into winning these awards. Sport is an essential part of our global society. The creativity we see in the sports industry is very exciting, with clear benefits to the communities we all live in and are looking to develop for future generations.”

A total of 180 entries were received for this seventh edition of the annual Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Awards, part of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Global Initiatives focusing on humanitarian, social and developmental strategies.

~ends FEI PRESS RELEASE