President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan sent a cable of condolences to King Hamad Bin Eisa Al Khalifa of Bahrain on the death of Sheikh Eisa Bin Rashid Al Khalifa, who died of 81 years, on Thursday.

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, sent similar cables to the Bahraini King.

Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid wrote on his twitter account: “Our condolences to the Bahraini people….Our condolences to the GCC people, on the death Sheikh Eisa Bin Rashid Al Khalifa… an icon of sports, who used to draw a smile on others’ faces… one of the founders of the Arabian Gulf Cup that brought the GCC peoples under one sporting umbrella. He was best known for his kindness and qualities and is beloved by the Gulf people…May Allah rest his soul in peace… We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return.”

Best known for his contributions in the field of sports in Bahrain and beyond and as a well-known national figure, Sheikh Eisa was the second deputy chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports.

He was also highly regarded for his poetical, literary and cultural contributions and was a pioneer in writing popular poetry.

He held several posts throughout his life. Sheikh Eisa was born in 1939 in Al Muharraq, and graduated from the Faculty of Law at Egypt’s Ain Shams University in 963. Since then, he served as a judge at Bahrain’s courts until 1968.

He was appointed as legal adviser the National Guards, before he became a deputy to the commander-in-chief of the Bahrain Defence Force. He held the position of undersecretary of the Ministry of Defence, and later was appointed undersecretary of the Ministry of Information from 1976 to 1988.

In 1988, Sheikh Eissa was appointed as the head of the General Organisation for Youth and Sports with the rank of minister. He also was the president of the Bahrain Football Association and head of the Bahrain Olympic Committee. His fame gone beyond Bahrain’s boundaries, and is admired for his communication and diplomatic skills and his personality.

Sheikh Eisa received several accolades and awards, including the Sheikh Eisa Bin Salman Award of the first class, Bahrain Order of First Class, National Defense Medal of Kuwait, International Olympic Committee Silver Medal and Olympic Gold Medal of Excellence.