As reported by the Daily Monitor, the accolade was presented to the former rugby player by the outgoing Italian Ambassador to Uganda, Domenico Fornara.

Blick, elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee in October 2018, has worked together with Fornara on various initiatives. 

The last of these was a visit of Sampdoria Football Club coaches to the West Nile sub-region in north-western Uganda, where they guided an internally displaced people’s training camp.

Blick is also said to have championed various community development initiatives through sport and led a vibrant UOC management team.

Furthermore, he has helped promote a series of community-based Italian projects and interests in Uganda.

Lieutenant General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Senior Presidential Adviser for Special Operations in Uganda, took to social media to pay tribute to Blick. 

"Congratulations to my brother (William) Blick on achieving this high honour from the President of Italy," he wrote in a Twitter post.

"Well done for always pushing yourself to achieve excellence."

Blick replaced Rogers Ddungu as UOC President in 2012 having served as vice-president under him.

His tenure is due to expire in 2021.

Blick is among the members of a taskforce responsible for running the boxing tournament at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, as well as the qualification system for it.