2015: A YEAR JORDAN SPORT CAN BE PROUD OF

The Jordan Olympic Committee’s Communications Director David Williams looks ahead to the Black Iris Sports Awards by looking back at a glorious year for Jordan sport.

“As the Jordan Olympic Committee starts the preparations for sport’s ‘Oscars’, The Black Iris Sports Awards, it is that time of year when we can look back over the past 12 months.

And what an incredible year it has been for Jordan Sport.

It never ceases to amaze me how this country consistently ‘punches above its weight’ across so many sports both on the regional and global stage.

2015 has been another year where we have tasted success on the international arena across a number of sports, while there are encouraging signs that sport as a whole is showing signs of improvement.

Here in Jordan we have so many obstacles when it comes to developing sport at all levels. Two that are obvious are funding and facilities. Of course we don’t enjoy the riches invested in sport by so many countries, but what we do have goes a long way.

The budget has been frozen again for a third year in 2016. We have the same money to distribute among our 32 Federations that a single English Premier League footballer can earn in a year.

But we get on with it and make sure every penny is wisely invested.

And so, as we prepare the expert Shortlist Selection Panel for this year’s Black Iris Media Awards and await our Federations’ nominations, we can look back on another successful year.

I don’t want to prejudice who may be selected by mentioning names, but there are many. Only last month we welcomed back four medal winners from different world championships in four sports. A magnificent achievement.

Our JOC News Service has reported on new national records, Arab Champions, Asian champions not to mention those global successes all year. The football team has re-emerged as an Asian heavyweight and talk from our Paralympic Committee is that a record delegation could be heading to Rio next summer.

Unfortunately we seem to excel in sports that are not on the Olympic calendar, meaning our delegation to Rio next summer may well be on the ‘small’ side. But with sports like boxing and taekwondo still in the running, you just never know!

In Jordan we tend to be a bit reserved when it comes to recognizing success, but the 2015 Black Iris Sports Awards will ensure that our heroes receive the recognition they thoroughly deserve.”