El Guerrouj, Gammoudi to speak in Dubai

dubai — Two-time Olympic champion Hicham El Guerrouj and Tunisian legend Mohammed Gammoudi, two of middle-distance running’s greatest, will share the dais at the 9th Sports Creativity Forum on Tuesday, a day before they are honoured at the glittering awards ceremony of the 9th Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award for winning in the Olympic Creative Sports category.

Organised by Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award, the 9th Sports Creativity Forum will be held on January 9 at Jumeirah Emirates Towers’ Godolphin Ballroom, with the opening session, titled ‘Creative Experiences’, starting at 8.30am.

Tunisian Tarek Bin Mohamed Souei, winner of the Arab Referee Award at the 9th MBR Creative Sports Award, will take part in the opening session along with fellow-awardees, visually-impaired Algerian brothers Abdellatif and Fouad Baka, who have represented their country at the Paralympic Games.

The second session, titled ‘Sports Experiences’, will see Egyptian swimmer Farida Hisham Osman, winner of the Distinguished Athletes Achievement Award, share the dais with Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Mustafa Al Sowaiq, winner of the Arab Emerging Athlete Award.

In the third session, starting at 10.40am, Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, winner of the Arab Sports Personality Award, will share her “Administrative Experience” with the audience in what will be the main session of this year’s forum.

Princess Reema is Deputy President of Saudi Arabia’s Sports Authority for Planning & Development and in October last year, she became the first female to lead a Saudi sports federation when she was appointed president of the Federation for Community Sports. She has also played a pivotal role in the founding and regulation of women’s sport in Saudi Arabia, and the introduction of sports among girls at public schools in the country.