Winners of 17th King Abdullah II Award for Physical Fitness honoured

AMMAN — Deputising for His Majesty King Abdullah, Education Minister Azmi Mahafzah honoured the winners of the 17th King Abdullah II Award for Physical Fitness.

Hailing from 3,248 public, private and military schools, 805,127 male and female students participated in the competition.

During a ceremony at the Palace of Culture at Al Hussein Youth City, the minister handed medals and certificates to 36 male and female students who won first and second places within the 9-17 age group. He also awarded five top achievers with special needs, three education directorates and nine schools, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The ceremony included video presentations about the award, dance performances, sports and folkloric displays.

The award was launched by His Majesty King Abdullah in 2005 to promote healthy lifestyles by motivating students to engage in various sports.

Ajmal Tweikat, director of the educational activities department at the Education Ministry, said that since its institution, the award has sought to achieve the ministry's goal of exploring students' athletic potential.

The ministry considers the award to be an important pillar of the educational process, providing its students with opportunities to participate within a safe, encouraging school environment, under the supervision of highly professional teachers, Tweikat said.