The Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee Awards have been held for the first time in Riyadh ©SAOC

The Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee (SAOC) Awards have been held for the first time in Riyadh, with former President Prince Sultan Bin Fahd Bin Abdulaziz receiving the highest distinction.

The award was presented to Prince Sultan in recognition of his leadership and achievements.

During his Presidency from 1999 to 2011, SAOC was recognised as one of the most successful National Olympic Committees in Asia with tangible results both in its management and the sport fields.

"His actions and dedication for sport and the Olympic Movement was second to none," a SAOC statement reads.

Other awards presented during the ceremony included those for women and sport, the best sport event of the year, sport promotion and development, and sponsor.

"We are very satisfied with this event, which we will host annually, and it will surely go bigger next year after the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games as we expect to present more awards, including athletes, people and organisations that are tirelessly contributing to sport development in the Kingdom," SAOC President Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al-Faisal Al Saud declared after the ceremony.

The Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee held its General Assembly at the Sport Green Hall in Riyadh ©SAOC
The Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee held its General Assembly at the Sport Green Hall in Riyadh ©SAOC

On the same day, SAOC also held its 23rd General Assembly at Riyadh’s Sport Green Hall.

All National Federations (NFs) and SAOC institutional partners attended the General Assembly, which was chaired by Prince Abdulaziz.

The major highlight was the election of Adwa Alarifi as a SAOC Board member.

Alarifi becomes the second woman elected to the SAOC Board, in what is said to confirm the organisation’s ambition to continue raising the status of women through sport.

The General Assembly also validated the establishment of the Saudi Olympic Academy and welcomed the membership of NFs for the sports of baseball and softball, canoeing and kayaking, hockey, lacrosse, lifesaving, Muay Thai and rugby.

The SAOC 2019 activities report was also presented to the General Assembly and validated along with plans for 2020, which will be a busy year for the national governing body with preparations for the Gulf Cooperation Council Games in Kuwait, the Olympic Games in Tokyo, and the Asian Beach Games in Chinese city Sanya.