FIT Awards recognise UAE's best

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  • Fitness First Mirdiff City Centre walked away with the award for Facility of the Year, 1001+ Members.

    Fitness First Mirdiff City Centre were the big winners as the inaugural FIT Awards 2014 enjoyed a gala opening.

    – #Quiz360: WIN a bungee jump with Gravity Zone

    Organised by Sport360° in partnership with FitnessLink.me and the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs), the awards aimed to recognise excellence and achievements of the health and fitness industry in the UAE for the first time.

    Courtesy of sponsors Daman and Dubai Sports City, 375 attendees packed into the Jumeirah Emirates Towers’ Godolphin Ballroom on Friday evening to see the best practitioners and events rewarded for their outstanding work. 

    A total of 185 entries from facilities, organisations, initiatives, leaders and individuals in the fitness world were registered – 88 of which were polled and judged as finalists across 14 categories.

    More than 23,000 votes were cast by the public from November 1 to December 1, their selections guiding the strict judging process.

    The achievements of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, were also recognised with the Ultimate Recognition Award.

    In the judging process, it was Fitness First Mirdiff City Centre who emerged with the night’s key prize of Facility of the Year 1001+ Members.

    “It feels really good,” senior general manager Edward Elliott said. 

    “As a brand, Fitness First really has stepped it up during the four years I have been in the Middle East.

    "We put the attention into the small items in the business, coaching our staff and focusing on operations. The FIT Awards have been fantastic.”

    As one of the fastest growing sectors, the fitness industry in the UAE comprises more than 1,600 registered professionals across more than 160 venues and facilities.

    Key health and fitness figures and government officials headed to Emirates Towers to see who would emerge victorious from the hotly-contested categories. 

    And Michael Chalhoub,  of Sport360°, hoped the occasion would be the first of many.
    He said: “At Sport360° one of our missions is to help people lead healthier lifestyles. 

    “When we saw the professionalism and amount of hard work put in, we decided it could not continue to grow unnoticed.

    “The FIT Awards’ objective is to set a new standard for the health and fitness industry and to become the annual event that highlights the ultimate achievements of all the key players.”

    All but one of the finalists went through a thorough three-stage judging process involving 20 highly professional and experienced 
    industry leaders, the process overseen by auditors Deloitte and Touche. 

    The evening’s big success story were Exhale Fitness Studio, who came away with both the Studio of the Year and Ladies Only Facility of the Year titles.


    The exception came in the Fitness Event of the Year, which was decided purely by public vote.

    Sharjah Ladies Club took the prize, reward for April’s five-kilometre Sharjah Ladies Run which attracted more than 250 people.

    “We were hoping for the best, and luckily the best came,” events and public relations manager Ameera Al Aami said. 

    “This was a really fun night and great for the Sharjah Ladies.

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