LI NA AND YAO MING HONOURED AT LAUREUS WORLD SPORTS AWARDS

Thu, Apr 16, 2015 14:20 CET

Laureus Academy Member Martina Navratilova pays tribute: ‘We’ll see a lot more tennis players coming out of China thanks to Li Na’
‘Yao Ming shows a greater commitment than simply what happens in the sports hall, I am delighted he is to become a Laureus Academy Member’– says Laureus Chairman Edwin Moses
Global TV audience watches Laureus Awards Ceremony in Shanghai
TV News Access and Web Edit links at end of press release

SHANGHAI, April 15, 2015 – Chinese sport is celebrating after the Laureus World Sports Academy presented special Awards to Li Na and Yao Ming to honour their unique contribution to sport. The two Chinese sporting legends received the accolades at the globally televised Laureus World Sports Awards Ceremony in the Shanghai Grand Theatre.

Retired tennis star Li Na, who has fostered a dramatic growth of the sport in China after winning two Grand Slam championships, was given the Laureus Academy Exceptional Achievement Award, while basketball giant Yao Ming, who had a stunning career with Houston Rockets until he retired in 2011, was presented with the Laureus Spirit of Sport Award.

Li Na, whose career ended last year because of knee injuries, received the prestigious Laureus Statuette from Michael Johnson. This is only the second time the Laureus Academy Exceptional Achievement Award has been presented, the other recipient being Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian in history.

In addition to his sporting successes, Yao Ming has also been an enthusiastic worker, through the Yao Ming Foundation, in providing educational opportunities for children. He has also supported relief efforts after serious earthquakes. He received the Laureus Spirit of Sport Award from Sean Fitzpatrick and Yang Yang at the Awards Ceremony, where it was also announced that he had been elected a member of the Laureus World Sports Academy, along with Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar.

Laureus Academy Chairman Edwin Moses said: “I would like to congratulate Yao Ming on this very special Award which is presented only at the discretion of the Academy. When he retired in 2011, the then NBA Commissioner David Stern said ‘Yao was a bridge between Chinese and American basketball fans with a wonderful mixture of talent, dedication and humanitarian aspirations’. I could not say it any better than that. He is one of those people who is a sporting legend, but who also shows a greater commitment than simply what happens in the sports hall. I am delighted that he has now agreed to become a member of the Laureus World Sports Academy.”

Laureus Academy Member and tennis legend Martina Navratilova paid tribute to the achievements of Li Na, the first Chinese player to win a Grand Slam. “Once she won the French Open, the pressure that was on her as the first Asian player, male or female, to get that far was really hard to imagine. So my hat is off to Li Na for winning the first Grand Slam and then to win again at the Australian Open a year ago, an amazing achievement. She’s opened a pretty big door in China and in Asia. There are already a lot more Chinese players out there and they will be making their mark. I think first of all we'll see more woman players, but I think we'll see more men players coming out of China thanks to Li Na.”

The Laureus World Sports Awards are the premier honours on the international sporting calendar. The winners are chosen by the Laureus World Sports Academy, the ultimate sports jury, made up of 50 of the greatest living sportsmen and sportswomen.

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic won his second Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award after another brilliant 12 months which featured a second Wimbledon victory, while Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba was named Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year after breaking three world records in different events in two weeks. She was only the third person to achieve that feat, along with athletic giants Jesse Owens and Usain Bolt.

The German Football Team was named Laureus World Team of the Year after becoming the first European side to win the FIFA World Cup in South America, while Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo was named winner of the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award after a brilliant rookie season in which he won three Formula One Grand Prix.

The Awards were announced in seven categories. The full list of winners is:

Laureus World Sportsman of the Year: Novak Djokovic

Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year: Genzebe Dibaba

Laureus World Team of the Year: Germany Men’s Football Team

Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year: Daniel Ricciardo

Laureus World Comeback of the Year: Schalk Burger

Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability: Tatyana McFadden

Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year: Alan Eustace

Laureus Sport for Good Award: Skateistan

For full biographies of Winners and Nominees go to www.laureus.com

The globally televised Laureus World Sports Awards was hosted by British film and TV actor Benedict Cumberbatch. Among the presenters were Hollywood legend Bill Murray, star of iconic films such as Groundhog Day, Ghostbusters and Hyde Park on Hudson, Henry Cavill, who played Superman in the film Man of Steel, multi award-winning Korean actress Ha Ji-won, and actress and model Karolína Kurková.

The Awards Ceremony is attended by legends of sport past and present and celebrates the achievements of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of the year. The Host Partner of the 2015 Laureus World Sports Awards is Chinese textile and wool company HengYuanXiang Group (HYX), and the event has received the strong support of the Shanghai Municipal Government.

The members of the Laureus World Sports Academy present in Shanghai were: Nadia Comaneci, Deng Yaping, Mick Doohan, Sean Fitzpatrick, Dawn Fraser, Cathy Freeman, Tanni Grey-Thompson, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Mika Hakkinen, Mike Horn, Michael Johnson, Kip Keino, Franz Klammer, Li Xiaopeng, Tegla Loroupe, Edwin Moses, Robby Naish, Ilie Nastase, Alexey Nemov, Morné du Plessis, Hugo Porta, Mark Spitz, Sachin Tendulkar, Daley Thompson, Steve Waugh, Yang Yang and Yao Ming.

Other guests included: Valerie Adams, Robert Baker, Annabelle Bond, Schalk Burger, Cafu, Eric Cantona, Shelley Gautier, Michael Holding, Nyjah Huston, Janica Kostelic, Jens Lehmann, Leung Yuk Wing, Li Ning, Vanesa Lorenzo, Sage Kotsenburg, Danny MacAskill, Tina Maze, Heyneke Meyer, Roman Petushkov, Carles Puyol, Louis Saha, Anna Schaffelhuber, Sarah Storey, Sun Wen, Pierre Vaultier, Jean de Villiers and Ireen Wüst.

Shanghai, one of China’s most iconic travel destinations and one of the most spectacular cities on Earth, is a perfect location for the 2015 Laureus World Sports Awards. A popular tourist destination renowned for its historical landmarks, such as The Bund, City God Temple and Yu Garden, as well as the dramatic Lujiazui skyline, it is a showcase for the booming economy of China. Shanghai mixes old world charm with a modern and vibrant city, perfectly blending the past and present. Shanghai annually hosts some of the biggest sports events in the world, including the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix and the IAAF Shanghai Diamond League meeting.

Enjoying a long-standing reputation in China, HYX is a leading force in the textile and garment industry. In recent years HYX has evolved into a modern enterprise developing its own unique ‘brand and culture’, through brands like ‘HYX’, ‘Fazeya’ and ‘Nanonan’. For many years, HYX has actively focused on sport and been a partner in sports events like football, basketball, gymnastics and marathon. In December 2005, HYX became the first non-sports textile and costume sponsor in the history of the Olympics and three years later became the first partner of the Chinese Olympic Committee, customizing the Olympic kit for Chinese athletes.

The ‘Eternal Love’ programme, co-founded by HYX and the China Children and Teenagers’ Foundation, has won the China Charity Award twice, being honoured as the No.1 activity for caring for orphaned and disabled children in China. Also, the ‘HYX Literature Star High School Students’ Writing Contest’ has become the most influential event of its kind, attracting the largest number of contestants. In 1997 and 2007 HYX supported the ‘10,000 Teenagers’ Recreational and Sports Activities’ event in Tiananmen Square, in Beijing, China, to promote the health of teenagers.

Proceeds from the Laureus World Sports Awards directly benefit and underpin the work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. Since its inception, Laureus has raised €60 million for projects which have improved the lives of millions of young people.

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