Qatar's Barshim named Asia's best at ANOC gala

Bengaluru/Doha, November 3: World high jump champion Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar was adjudged Asia's Best Male Athlete at the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) Annual Gala in Prague.

The two-time Olympic medallist received the the award from pole vault legend Sergey Bubka on the opening day of the ANOC General Assembly being held at the Czech Republic's capital city.

عاجل | 🇶🇦🏆جائزة أخرى من نصيب بطلنا #معتز_برشم! الجمعية العمومية لاتحاد اللجان الأوليمبية الوطنية تتوج معتز بجائزة افضل رياضي في آسيا في ٢٠١٧ pic.twitter.com/Tdygoetzcd

— Aspire Academy (@Aspire_Academy) November 2, 2017

"First of all I'm very happy to be here and to win this award. I thank my family, especially my mother, and my team for keeping me going," said Barshim who clinched the yellow metal at the International Association of Athletcs Federations (IAAF) World Championships in London in August with a leap of 2.35M.

مبروك لبطلنا معتز لقب أفضل لاعب في اسيا .. و مبروك لقطر هذا الإنجاز .. والقادم أفضل باْذن الله .. 🇶🇦✌🏾@mutazbarshim pic.twitter.com/IpIbOxr5SY

— جوعان بن حمد (@JoaanBinHamad) November 2, 2017

The Qatari also singled out his also coach Stanislaw Szczyrba, who is from Poland, for special praise.

🇶🇦🇶🇦🔝🔝 🙏🏽اللهم لك الحمد #ANOC2017 #تميم_المجد pic.twitter.com/6usfBGOmPo

— معتز برشم ♕Barshim (@mutazbarshim) November 2, 2017

The 26-year-old's personal best of 2.43M set at the 2014 IAAF Brussels Diamond League meeting is the second-best jump of all times behind Cuban Javier Sotomayor's long-standing record of 2.45 set in 1992.

Barshim has been in top form this season. Apart from the heroics in London, he also won the Diamond League crown.

The winners of in each category were selected by an ANOC Jury from a shortlist provided by each of the continental associations.

ANOC Awards list:

Asia
Best Female Athlete: Song Yu, China (Judo)
Best Male Athlete: Mutaz Essa Barshim, Qatar (High Jump)

Africa
Best Female Athlete: Farida Osman, Egypt (Swimming)
Best Male Athlete: Chad Le Clos, South Africa (Swimming)

America

Best Female Athlete: Yulimar Rojas, Venezuela (Triple Jump)
Best Male Athlete: Trinidad and Tobago 4x400m relay team

Europe
Best Female Athlete: Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden (Swimming)
Best Male Athlete: Marcel Hirscher, Austria (Alpine Skiing)