Moroccan field and tracks star and double Olympic champion, Hicham El Guerrouj, received late last week the most prestigious Spanish Prince Felipe of Asturias award in a ceremony during which the crown prince of Spain paid tribute to El Guerrouj as “a shining indication of a more dynamic and prosperous Morocco”.
Prince Felipe highlighted both El Guerrouj’s sports performances and his commitment in favor of the poorest people, especially the youth, saying he is “admired throughout the world and rightly loved in his own country, where his exemplary life and his sporting triumphs are heralded as a shining indication of a more dynamic and prosperous Morocco, which we also wish for them".
In the course of the prize awarding ceremony which Queen Sofia of Spain and Prince Felipe’s spouse attended together with 1,500 guests, the Spanish crown prince stressed “this world champion - already acknowledged as the best middle-distance runner in the annals of history and one of the best athletes of all time - has since taken many, highly productive pathways.”
According to MAP, the Spanish prince also praised El Guerrjouj’s personal values “his selfless, tenacious, straightforward nature have earned him another great personal triumph - the triumph of his generous, dedicated work for the most needy. A UNICEF Good Will ambassador, he donates a fair part of his prize money to charity work, with children and the very young being the first to benefit. These children, in turn, hold him in fervent admiration and have an enormous desire to emulate him. The high moral example that elite sport epitomizes and always should epitomize is magnified in the case of this sportsman and exceptional human being whom we pay tribute to today".
The annual prize is awarded since the year 1980 by a prestigious foundation chaired by the crown prince of Spain. It is a world-reputed distinction often likened to the Nobel prize. (Albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
