Mario Moccia with the latest award he has been presented ©COA

A national award has been given to the secretary general of the Argentine Olympic Committee.

Mario Moccia was named as one of the winners of the Labor Dirigencial prize at the 2017 LIDE Sport Juan Manuel Fangio Awards.

The award recognises the work of people in leaderships roles across sport in Argentina, with rugby player Agustin Pichot, the former capital of the national rugby union team who is now vice-chairman of World Rugby, also receiving a gong from the same category.

Last month, Moccia was honoured at the Islas Malvinas Awards after being elected as a Pan American Sports Organization vice-president in April.

“It is a compliment to receive this award,” Moccia, who is heads the Pan American Handball Federation, said while accepting his latest prize.

Mario Moccia, fifth from right, with the other award winners from the ceremony ©COA
Mario Moccia, fifth from right, with the other award winners from the ceremony ©COA

“This work is done with passion and we have our lives in sports trying to find goals for the benefit of the sport activity.

“We are a great family and we try to contribute to a better and more peaceful world.

“We have built a great management team and I am very happy to receive this distinction on behalf of all the them.”

The awards are named after Fangio, who won five Formula One World Drivers’ Championship titles in the 1950s.

He died at the age of 84 in July, 1995.