Announcement

BWF Collects ‘Creativity’ Prize

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) was among the honour roll of winners at Monday’s prestigious awards ceremony for the eighth edition of the H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum Creative Sports Award.

BWF President Poul-Erik Høyer (left: featured image) accepted the prize for the International Category – Corporate Sports Creativity (International Federation of the Year Award) on behalf of badminton’s world-governing body which was recognised for its innovative voting system. The presentation was made by H.H. Sheikh Ahmed Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, the President of the National Olympic Committee and Chairman of the Award (right: featured image).

Since 2012, the BWF has used an objective and transparent method to determine voting strength, which rewards each BWF member association for its engagement in international badminton and their contributions towards the development of the sport globally.

The system has been referenced by sports governance experts as “an inspiring case of change” and as a “democratic governance system…(which) offers an interesting opportunity for sport leaders across the world to rethink sport democratisation, as they start modernising their governance standards to get fit for purpose in the 21st century”. It was developed in 2012 by the BWF Council, under the leadership of Dr. Kang Yong Joong, and has been further enhanced by the present Council during Høyer’s presidency.

Winners across local, Arab and international categories received their awards at the Dubai World Trade Center in the presence of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority & Chairman of Emirates Group / H.H. Princess Haya Bint Al-Hussain, the Wife of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, the Vice President & Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai and several other dignitaries.

The award which bears the name of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum – Vice President & Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai – honours outstanding achievements by local, Arab and international sports leaders, athletes, coaches, referees and other figures or organisations.

A press release from the organisers noted the award is linked to the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum Global Initiatives and “is the greatest of its kind all over the world with respect to its various categories and financial rewards and the first of its kind ever that deals with creativity in sports work in the UAE, Arab world and the entire world”.

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Winners of the eighth edition of the H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum Creative Sports Award with dignitaries.