UAE. At the closing ceremony of the Dubai Tennis Championships, Colm McLoughlin, managing director of tournament organisers Dubai Duty Free, was named ‘Tennis Personality of the Year’ by the GCC Tennis Association.
The award, which was presented by HH Sheikh Hasher Al Maktoum, president of Tennis Emirates in the presence of HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of the Department of Civil Aviation, was made in recognition of McLoughlin’s contribution to tennis within the GCC countries.
Announcing the award to a packed audience at the Dubai Tennis Stadium, Abdul Rahman Falaznaz, vice-president of Tennis Emirates said: “Colm McLoughlin secured the ATP men’s tournament back in 1993 and since then, he and his team at Dubai Duty Free, have built on its success adding the WTA women’s week in 2001. Now the two-week tournament is a major international event which receives worldwide exposure for Dubai.”
Accepting the award, Colm McLoughlin thanked the tournament patron, HH General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Minister of Defence UAE and HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, for their ongoing support of the tournament. He also thanked the staff at Dubai Duty Free for their contribution to the success of the tournament.
“In addition to our tournament director and marketing team, hundreds of our staff are directly involved in the successful running of the Dubai Tennis Championships working here on site as ushers, in the box office, in finance and in the on-site shop, and their work helps to ensure a professional event,” said McLoughlin.
HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum congratulates DDF managing director Colm McLoughlin on receiving the ‘Tennis Personality of the Year Award’ from HH Sheikh Hasher Al Maktoum, president of Tennis Emirates
At the same ceremony, the Arab Tennis Federation presented Salah Tahlak, Dubai Duty Free’s director of corporate communications and tournament director with an Appreciation Award. The award was presented by HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum on behalf of HH Sheikh Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah, president of the Arab Tennis Federation.
The awards came at the end of the successful Dubai Tennis Championships which saw record crowds attending the two-week tournament. The Dubai Duty Free Women’s 2004 title was won by defending champion and world number one Justine Henin-Hardenne, while the men’s number one Roger Federer, also retained his title for a second time.
