Winners for 13 categories were selected by an independent jury composed of industry leaders chosen for their expertise in the Middle East sports eco space. A public vote determined three other winners.
“It was a pleasure to be here and a fun evening,” said Tom Phillips – Middle East Director of the DP World Tour.
“Winning the award for Best Sports Event Organizer of the Year was the icing on the cake,” he added.
๐ฆ๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฏ is in the books ๐
Can you recognize yourself in these pictures? ๐ธ#SPIA
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โ sport360events (@sport360events) May 5, 2023
It was an unforgettable evening for the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, who won gold awards in three different categories. This included the โBest Sporting Event of the Yearโ award for organizing the finals of the Triathlon World Championships.
They also took home the Best Fan Engagement at a Professional Sports Event trophy for their work on the UAE World Tour.
Other notable winners of the evening included Toyota Motorsport, which took home the top prize for ‘Best Innovative Sports Brand of the Year’. Meanwhile, Misfer Al Khatami won the prestigious Sports Media Personality of the Year trophy.
A special standing ovation was given to Sujith Varghese after being selected for the Spirit of Sport Award. Sujith is the first Person of Determination (POD) in a wheelchair to receive a qualified fitness trainer in Dubai.
The SPIA 2023 ceremony was made possible by several groups including Al-Futtaim Motors who were the main partners of the event. They are the exclusive distributors of Toyota vehicles in the United Arab Emirates.
Global culture agency OneSixtyoverNinety was the gold sponsor, while Mai Dubai was the official drinking partner. As has become the norm over the years, SPIA has been endorsed by the Dubai Sports Council.
The award-winning agency Memories Event Management was responsible for putting together the extravagant gala evening.
It was a spectacular night in ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฏ ๐
Many thanks to our sponsors, participants and award winners โบ๏ธ
See you again in ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฐ ๐#SPIA
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โ sport360events (@sport360events) May 4, 2023
Other notable triumphs of the night included Stryx Sports lifting the Best Youth Academy trophy, while AD Gaming took home the award for Best Esports Event of the Year.
Flash Entertainment won Best Sports Marketing Campaign, Zayed Sports City won Best Recreational Sports Facility, and Nielsen Sports Middle East won Best Sports Event Provider of the Year trophy.
