The world of sport is paying tribute to one of its great patrons, Prince Philip, after his death at the age of 99

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The world of sport is paying tribute to one of its great patrons, Prince Philip, after his death at the age of 99
WPA Pool/Getty Images/Alastair Grant
  • Tributes from around the world of sport are pouring in after the death of Prince Philip, aged 99.
  • He was a passionate fan of sport, and was present for some of history's biggest sporting moments.
  • Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho interrupted a press conference to express his condolences.
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Tributes from around the sporting world are pouring in after the death of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, at the age of 99.

The Duke of Edinburgh was a long-standing fan, patron, and player of many sports, and was present for a number of the greatest sporting moments in recent history in his role within the Royal family.

One of the first sporting organizations to share its condolences after Prince Philip's death was Ascot Racecourse, where Philip and the Queen spent many days together watching the Queen's beloved horses racing.

"We have very happy memories of His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh at Ascot where he accompanied Her Majesty The Queen on so many occasions and shared in her successes," Sir Francis Brooke, the Queen's representative at the racecourse, said in a statement posted to social media.

Brooke then shared a particularly fond memory - when the Duke of Edinburgh presented his wife with a trophy in 2012 after one of her own horses, Estimate, won the Queen's Vase, one of Royal Ascot's most prestigious races.

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"One of the most memorable moments was in 2012 when His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh presented Her Majesty The Queen with the Queen's Vase after Estimate's victory," the statement read.

Tributes also poured in from the world of soccer, with Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho interrupting his pre-match press conference ahead of a weekend game with Manchester United to address Prince Philip's death.

"I would like to express my condolences to the Royal family, and to be very honest and say I have a deep deep deep, the utmost, respect for the Royal family," a visibly upset Mourinho said.

"I believe that it is not just this country that is going to be sharing these feelings."

The Football Association (FA), which is responsible for soccer in the UK, paid tribute to Prince Philip with a photograph of him alongside the Queen as she presented England captain Bobby Moore with the World Cup trophy after England's famous victory in 1966.

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He was the president of the FA between 1955 and 1957, and attended the final of the FA Cup, English domestic soccer's biggest match, numerous times.

The world of sport is paying tribute to one of its great patrons, Prince Philip, after his death at the age of 99
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Clubs from across English and world football also shared their condolences over his death, with Burnley Football Club sharing a photograph of the Duke of Edinburgh meeting players before the 1962 FA Cup final.

Members of the cricket community, another sport that the duke was passionate about, were also quick to share tributes, with one of the sport's governing bodies, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), describing his "passion to make sport accessible to all."

Prince Philip was president of the MCC twice, and even presented the trophy at the inaugural World Cup final in 1975.

In some domestic cricket matches on Friday, players paid their respects to the duke with a two minute silence.

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Formula One authorities also sent their regrets over the duke's death, writing in a tweet: "The whole of Formula 1 wishes to pay tribute to Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, who dedicated his whole life to Great Britain and served his country with pride and devotion."

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