Festival  boosts new wave of British sporting heroines

Two share HH Sheikh Mansoor Festival-supported UK Award

Accompanied by Emirates Airline representatives and Channel 4 TV Presenter Gina Harding (left), Lara Sawaya and
Rawdha Alotaiba congratulate the Sport Award winners, Dr Sarah Leiter (right) and Alexandra Paske

The 12th annual Women of the Future Awards took place at London’s Hilton Park Lane Hotel on Wednesday, 15 November 2017 and yielded a record number of nominations from a vast spectrum of careers and professions across 14 categories, including the Sport Award, which for the second consecutive year was sponsored by HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival.

Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, General Manager of Wathba Stallions, Chairperson of the International Federation of Horse Racing Academies (IFHRA) and Chairperson of Ladies & Apprentice Racing Committees in the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR) together with principal guest Rawdha Alotaiba, Deputy Head of Mission at the UAE Embassy in London attended the ceremony to announce the result, which for the first time since the award’s inception, saw two winners crowned.  

Torn between two finalists who have significantly impacted the lives of young adults and children through sport, the judges awarded the trophies to visually impaired Great British Goalball Player Dr Sarah Leiter, who combines international level sport with studying medicine and pursuing research, and Alexandra Paske, Founder and Managing Director of Mintridge Events, a young people mentoring programme which harnesses the power of positive sporting role models.

Taking to the stage to congratulate the winner, Rawdha Alotaiba delivered an inspirational speech to audience applause, which highlighted the UAE’s progressive and inclusive approach towards supporting and encouraging female success in all career disciplines, including sport, for which she praised the Festival’s global horseracing activities and its sponsorship of the Women of the Future Awards.

Lara Sawaya and Rawdha Alotaiba are joined by VIP guests of the Festival including UAE Champion Jockey
and Sport Award Judge, Richard Mullen (right)

Lara Sawaya commented, “The quality of this year’s shortlist is the highest it’s ever been, and we are so proud to see horseracing’s Page Fuller, a young jockey who has overcome so many physical and emotional obstacles to return to racing following injury, recognised and celebrated for her career success. 

‘We commend the judges’ selections in Sarah and Alexandra, two incredible women who continue to inspire and benefit the lives of others through sport. These core values reflect the vision and objectives of HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE and Minister of Presidential Affairs and Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, Supreme President of the Family Development Foundation (FDF) and Head of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood and we are delighted to reinforce and promote the principles of the Festival by supporting the Awards.”

The HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival is sustained by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and coordinated by Abu Dhabi Sports Council, with National Feed and Flour Production and Marketing Co. LLC as associate sponsors, The National Archives as the official partner and Emirates airline as the official carriers, in cooperation with Emirates Racing Authority, IFAHR, Emirates Arabian Horse Society, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare and sponsored by Ayadi LLC, Global United Veterinary Services LLC,  Wathba Stallions, Abu Dhabi Falconers Club, Emirates Falconers Club,  Mohamed Bin Zayed Falconry and Desert Physiognomy School, Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), Al Awani General Enterprises, Kabale, Omeir Travels, Laboratories Fadia Karam Cosmetics, YAS Channel, Racing Post, Paris Turf,  Al Wathba Centre, the UAE's General Women's Union, The Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy, Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2017, Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Eastern Mangroves Suites-Abu Dhabi by Jannah, Anantara Eastern Mangroves Spa and Resort. 

Source: HH SH Mansoor Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival / Satya Narayan
Photo: Morhaf Al Assaf