?Winners in the Nasser bin Hamad Scientific Research Award in the field of sports were honoured at a gala ceremony held at the Bahrain Disabled Sports Federation Gym at Isa Sports City in Riffa last night (Jan. 20).
The closing ceremony of the award was held under the patronage of Supreme Council for Youth and Sports chairman and Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) president Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, in the presence of high-ranking sports officials.
They included Supreme Council for Youth and Sports general secretary and Chairman of the award Board of Trustees Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, representatives of the executive and technical board and invited guests.
The ceremony started with an entertaining show, followed by a speech by award general secretary Dr Abdulrahman Sayyar who stressed the importance of scientific research, which is considered one of the basic components of civilization, progress and sustainable development.
He pointed out that countries that have science, technology and knowledge are among nations that has control in modern world affairs.
Late on, a short film on the award was on show, then the winners of the sports management theme were announced, as Ahmed Mubarak Salem and Dr Mervat Amin Desoqi shared first place and the top award of BD50,000.
Both winners were honoured by Shaikh Nasser, who also presented commemorative gifts to other participants who reached the final stage of the competition, namely Manea Ahmed, Ali Yousef, Dr Faisal Hameed and Thekrayat Ahmed.
Shaikh Nasser also honoured the sponsoring companies in appreciation to their support to the award, including GPIC general manager Abdulrahman Jawahery, in addition to Scientific Committee members Dr Abdulrahman Sayyar, Dr Ahmed Al Shareef, Dr Sari Hamdan of Jordan, Dr Mohammed Sobhi of Egypt and Hazza Mohammed.
A special show then took place to finish off the occasion, at the end of which Shaikh Nasser stressed the importance of scientific research in the field of sports, which is a systematic way to achieve progress and excellence in all levels of sports through certain ways that help the researcher to present proposals and ideas that help raise the profile of the sport movement.
Shaikh Nasser said launching this award underlines the Bahrain Olympic Committee keenness to provide appropriate environment for the researcher in bid to achieve creativity and present a research based on modern information to reach the ultimate goal which is to develop sport in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Shaikh Nasser noted that the BOC has set up a clear basis and a strategic future, which targets scientific research in the field of sports in order to promote positive trends for this research to find knowledge and contribute to the development of the sports movement, and honour distinguished citizens and residents in Bahrain.
Other objectives are to raise the spirit of fair competition among researchers in the field of sports, encourage national scientific competencies and motivate them move toward conducting applied scientific research for the development of system sports in the Kingdom, in addition to conducting scientific research in line with the needs of the sports community presently and prospectively.
He said this joyful celebration was to honor a group of researchers in the field of sports who played a major part in the succession of the first edition of the award, which represents a promising start for the award towards development and growth.