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The Bahrain Olympic Committee celebrated the International Olympic Committee’s Women and Sport Award which was won by Shaikha Hayat bint Abdulaziz Al Khalifa recently.
Shaikha Hayat, member of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports and the BOC, and chairwoman of the women’s sports committee, has won the 2015 edition of the IOC Women & Sport Award for Asia.
Shaikha Hayat collected her award by IOC president Thomas Bach at a special ceremony held at the IOC premises in Lausanne, in Switzerland.
BOC’s ceremony was attended by its general secretary Abdulrahman Askar and board members Dr Khalid Al Alawi, Ali Isa, Abdulhakim Al Shino and a delegation from the UAE – Dr Mai Al Jaber, Wajdan Al Dahkoni and Shaikha Al Zahed – who are in Bahrain to congratulate Shaikha Hayat.
“We are so proud for Shaikha Hayat winning this prestigious award. It’s truly a source of pride for all of us and she deserves it for her efforts and contributions to sports in Bahrain, in general, and women’s sports, in specific,” said Askar.
The award was one of several that were won by Shaikha Hayat in appreciation to her significant role and contributions to sports movement, in general, and women’s sports, in specific.
Shaikha Hayat had earlier won the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award in 2012. She also received a diploma from the IOC for her effective contributions in women’s sports in 1992.
She started her sports career in 1976 when she represented Bahrain’s national table tennis team in many regional and international championships.
Shaikha Hayat then moved on to sports management and was outstanding in this area where she claimed highest posts , the most recent of which is now being president of the Bahrain Table Tennis Association and board member of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports and the BOC.
She is also heading the Arab National Olympic Committees and the supervising and follow-up committee of Women’s Arab Clubs Games.