The race is open to National Olympic Committees (NOCs), International Federations (IFs) and Continental Associations to nominate candidates for the IOC's 2008 Women and Sport Awards.

Handed out on an annual basis, these awards recognise outstanding achievement and contributions made to develop, encourage and strengthen the participation of women and girls at all levels in the sports world, the International Olympic Committee announced on its website.

Six trophies will be awarded - one each for Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania as well as one at the world level. Recipients may be an individual, an institution or an organization, said the IOC.

The awards ceremony will take place at the 4th IOC World Conference on Women and Sport in March 2008 in Jordan. It is the first time that this conference will be held in the Middle East. HRH Prince Faisal bin Al-Hussein, President of the Jordan National Olympic Committee, describes it as "a great opportunity to host the best and the brightest minds on promoting women and sport in Jordan and also to be able to learn from them and show them our experience."

The 2006 World Trophy went to the world renowned tennis player Gabriela Sabatini in acknowledgement of her work to open up the tennis world for youngsters in her home-country of Argentina. And in 2007 it was the first female Prime Minister of Jamaica, Portia Simpson Miller, who received the World Trophy for her outstanding dedication to promoting women's activities in Jamaican sport both as athletes and as administrators.