Just a few short months after taking home Qatar’s first Olympic silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, high-jump hero Mutaz Barshim is adding another accolade to his shelf. The 25-year-old Olympian was recently named 2016 ‘Athlete of the Year’ at the Esquire Middle East Man At His Best Awards in Dubai on November 29, 2016.

Now in its sixth year, Esquire’s Man At His Best awards recognizes the men and women of the MENA region who have made exceptional positive contributions to the realms of business, sports and the arts. Barshim’s journey to the Olympic podium began when he was just 13-years-old, starting out at Aspire Academy for Sporting Excellence. He currently holds the record for the second highest jump in history at 2.43 metres, just two centimetres shy of Cuban Javier Sotomayor’s 23-year world record.

“It’s such a big honour for me to win Esquire’s ‘Athlete of the Year’ award – it was a fantastic night filled with some incredible people,” Barshim expressed. “This year has just been amazing for me – winning Qatar’s first ever Olympic silver medal means the world to me, and I hope other young kids out there see me and get inspired to pick up some sport and change their lives.”

The Qatari athlete also holds the 2014 World Indoor Champion title, and a bronze medal in high jump at the 2012 Summer Olympic in London. Other notable recipients to receive awards at the ceremony held at the Burj Khalifa’s opulent Armani Hotel included the Fiji Rugby Sevens team, winning ‘Sports Team of the Year’, and the U.A.E.’s Ali Mabkout, who walked away with the ‘Footballer of the Year’ title.

Follow Mutaz Barshim’s momentum on the Qatar Olympic Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube channels under the hashtag #YallaQatar.

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Ashlee

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