Middle East Sport Industry Awards recognise excellence

The recently presented Middle East Sport Industry Awards (SPIA) have honoured professionals and organisations who work behind the scenes in fitness, recreation and sport as well as those who bring world-class events and services to the Middle East/Arabian Gulf region.

The ceremony for the inaugural awards, held at the One & Only Royal Mirage, Dubai, saw almost 450 guests applaud the efforts of their colleagues and competitors, who made it through a stringent judging process.

With over 160 submissions, winners were awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze awards in each of 12 different categories: Best Health and Fitness Facility, Best Sport and Recreation Facility, Best Entertainment Venue, Best Retail Sport Outlet, Best Sport Marketing Campaign, Best Sport Sponsorship, Best Youth Sport Development Project, Best Sport Brand, Best Sport Event (Amateur), Best Sport Event (Professional) and Best Sport Event Organisation.

The night's only individual award, the MENA Sport Business Personality for 2013, went to Nawal El Moutawakel, the first Arab and Muslim woman to win an Olympic gold and the current Vice-President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Emirates Airline won the Best Sport Sponsorship Gold for their enduring association with the DP World Tour Championship. HSBC Sevens and Emirates NBD, as co-sponsors of Omega Dubai Desert Classic, bagged the Silver and Bronze prizes.

Emirates Head of Sponsorship Roger Duthie stated "we are very proud to win this important award, and that too in its inaugural year. This is a great team effort. We like to associate with world-class events and the DP World Tour Championship is a world-class event."

Adidas was adjudged the Best Sport Brand in the region and Adventure HQ pipped Sun & Sand Sports to the top prize for the Best Retailer.

The Best Sport and Recreation Facility saw two Gold winners in Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club and Abu Dhabi's Zayed Sports City respectively, two Silver Emirates Golf Club and Qatar's Aspire Zone and two Bronze winners in Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club and The Dome@Rawdhat.

Dubai Creek General Manager Mustafa Al Hashmi was delighted with the award stating "this is a fantastic initiative by Sport360° to get the entire industry under one roof and it feels wonderful to win this award.

"This is our 20th year of operation and we even managed to beat our big brothers, Emirates Golf Club. But this is a victory for Dubai Golf, as we both come under them."

The Best Sport Event (Professional) was won by Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, while the Amateur Gold was won by Abu Dhabi Corporate Games.

IMG Middle East, Promoseven Sports Marketing and Duplays were the top three winners in the Best Sport Event Organisation in the region.

IMG, Middle East Managing Director Greg Sproule explained "any time you are recognised in any capacity, it is special.

"From my point of view, it really is an honour to have the opportunity to run an event in this region."

IMG, Middle East Oher winners included The Hundred Pilates Studio (Best Health and Fitness), Double Decker Pub (Best Entertainment Venue) and HSBC Rugby Program (Best Sport Marketing Campaign).

The SPIA is a new initiative of Sport360º and Mediaquest, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Department of Civil Aviation and Chief Executive and Chairman of The Emirates Group.

It was supported by both the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and Dubai Sports Council.

SPIA winners were:

Best Health and Fitness Facility

Gold - The Hundred Pilates Studio
Silver - Fitness First Middle East
Bronze - Pride Fitness Centre

Best Sport and Recreation Facility
Gold - Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi and Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club 
Silver - Emirates Golf Club and Aspire Zone, Qatar
Bronze - Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club and The Dome@Rawdhat

Best Entertainment Venue
Gold - Double Decker Pub (Al Murooj Rotana Dubai)
Silver - Bridges Sports (The Fairmont Dubai) 
Bronze - Time Café (Ramee Royal Hotel) 

Best Retail Sport Outlet
Gold - Adventure HQ (Adventure HQ LLC) 
Silver - Gold Sun & Sand Sports (Sun & Sand Sports LLC)
Bronze - Silver Intersport Outlet (Al Futtaim Trading LLC) 

Best Sport Marketing Campaign
Gold - The HSBC Rugby Programme (Fast Track Middle East/ HSBC)
Silver- Unleash Deadly (Adidas Emerging Market)
Bronze - Australia Cricket Series (Dubai Sports City) 

Best Sport Sponsorship
Gold - Emirates Airline (DP World Tour Championship)
Silver - HSBC Sevens World Series (HSBC/Fast Track Middle East)
Bronze - Emirates NBD (The Omega Dubai Desert Classic)

Best Youth Sport Development Project
Gold - Mubadala Football in Schools Program (Fast Track Middle East/Mubadala)
Silver - E-Sports (East Sports Services)
Bronze - Emirates American Football League Youth (EAFL Events LLC) and HAPE iShape Programme (HCT Dubai) 

Best Sport Brand
Gold - Adidas (Adidas Emerging Market)
Silver - Le Coq Sportif (Fitra International FZE) 
Bronze - Fitness First (Fitness First Middle East)

Best Sport Event (Amateur)
Gold - Abu Dhabi Corporate Games (Corporate Games FZ LLC)
Silver - E-Sports Junior Football League (East Sports Services) and Etihad Airways Junior Rugby Festival (Etihad Airways/PSG)
Bronze - Sharjah Streetball Challenge (Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club) and Emirates American Football League (EAFL Events LLC) 

Best Sport Event (Professional)
Gold - Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship (IMG Middle East) 
Silver - Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens (Emirates Airline) and The DP World Tour Championship (European Tour, Middle East)
Bronze - Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships (Dubai Duty Free) 

Best Sport Event Organisation
Gold - IMG (IMG Middle East) 
Silver - Promoseven Sports Marketing (Promoseven Sports Marketing) 
Bronze - Duplays (DUPLAYS Sports Services) 

MENA Sport Business Personality Award 2013
Nawal El Moutawakel - Vice-President of the International Olympic Committee

For more information go to www.sport360.com