SPORT FOR GOOD CELEBRATED AT LAUREUS WORLD SPORTS AWARDS
- Laureus-supported Moving the Goalposts receives Sport for Good Award
- Djokovic, Williams, Carter and All Blacks among other winners as global TV audience watches Laureus Awards Ceremony in Berlin
BERLIN, April 18, 2016 – While the Laureus World Sports Awards celebrated the greatest achievements of sportsmen and sportswomen, the evening also shone a light on the work of Laureus Sport for Good.
In Berlin to recieve the Laureus Sport for Good Award was Rachel Muthoga, Executive Director of the Laureus-supported Moving the Goalposts project. Moving the Goalposts uses football to empower young women and girls and tackle gender disparities in the rural Kenyan county of Kilifi, where over 60% of the population currently lives below the poverty line.
Working in some of the world’s poorest and most disadvantaged communities, Moving the Goalposts uses football to develop essential life skills, leadership and self-esteem in vulnerable young women. The project also helps tackle some of the biggest issues facing the girls, including low retention in school, early and unwanted pregnancies and vulnerability to HIV/AIDS which trap them in a cycle of poverty.
Speaking after receiving the prestigious Laureus Statuette, Rachel reflected: “We use football as a tool, but it’s not the be all and end all of why we are doing what we are doing. We are trying to make leaders out of young girls and we believe that by giving them life skills and opportunities to practise leadership within the programme, that’ is what will make them successful future leaders. Kenyans are fanatical about football and bringing girls into that platform of football also helps them to be seen in that positive light.”
Among the other Awards, the world’s top women’s tennis player Serena Williams has been named Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year, after a sparkling 2015 in which she won three Grand Slams. And, in an outstanding year for tennis, Novak Djokovic won his third Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award.
There was a special posthumous Laureus Spirit of Sport Award to celebrate the life of Johan Cruyff, who died in March. It was received by his son Jordi Cruyff.
On a glittering evening in Berlin that recognised the outstanding sporting achievements of 2015, rugby was the other big winner with the All Blacks taking the Laureus Team Award and Dan Carter receiving the Laureus Comeback of the Year Award, following the Rugby World Cup success.
To the delight of the Berlin audience, Germany’s Jan Frodeno, the first man to win both the Ironman World Championship and an Olympic triathlon gold medal, was presented with the Laureus Action Sports Award, while golfer Jordan Spieth won the Laureus Breakthrough Award. Brazilian Paralympic swimmer Daniel Dias won his third Laureus Disability Award, another record.
Triple Formula One world champion Niki Lauda, now Non-Executive Chairman of the Mercedes AMG Petronas team, received the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Laureus World Sports Awards supports Laureus Sport for Good by showcasing the incredible work it does to transform the lives of individuals and communities around the world by using the power of sport as a tool to combat challenging social issues. Since its inception, Laureus Sport for Good has raised over €100 million and supported over 150 projects worldwide which use sport to tackle violence, discrimination and disadvantage. Laureus Sport for Good has helped to improve the lives of millions of young people in over 35 countries and is proving that sport can change the world.
The Laureus World Sports Awards Ceremony, hosted by Hollywood actor Bill Murray at the Messe Berlin Palais am Funkturm, is broadcast to 160 countries.
Laureus World Sports Awards were announced in seven categories.
Laureus World Sportsman of the Year: Novak Djokovic
Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year: Serena Williams
Laureus World Team of the Year: All Blacks
Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year: Jordan Spieth
Laureus World Comeback of the Year: Dan Carter
Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability: Daniel Dias
Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year: Jan Frodeno
There were three additional Award winners: the Laureus Spirit of Sport Award was presented posthumously to legendary Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff, who died last month; the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award was given to three-time Formula One world champion Niki Lauda and the Laureus Sport for Good Award went to Kenya’s Moving the Goalposts football project.
For full biographies of Winners and Nominees go to http://lwsa16.laureus.com/
Three new members were welcomed to the Laureus World Sports Academy during the Awards Ceremony – German skier Maria Höfl-Riesch, Spanish football legend Raul and Irish rugby star Brian O’Driscoll.
Members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, Ambassadors and other guests present in Berlin, included: Boris Becker, Oliver Bierhoff, Ole Bischof, Stefan Blöcher, Fredi Bobic, Marie Bochet, Ian Botham, Martin Braxenthaler, Bob Burnquist, Flavio Canto, Cafu, Nadia Comaneci, David Coulthard, Liu Cuiqing, Alessandro Del Piero, Deng Yaping, Marcel Desailly, Kapil Dev, Genzebe Dibaba, Mick Doohan, Morné du Plessis, Pieter du Preez, Omara Durand, Mick Fanning, Luis Figo, Anna Fenninger, Sean Fitzpatrick, Cathy Freeman, Jan Frodeno, Tanni Grey-Thompson, Bryan Habana, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Mika Hakkinen, Regina Halmich, Lewis Hamilton, Maria Höfl-Riesch, Chris Hoy, Anthony Joshua, Nadine Kessler, Kip Keino, Chloe Kim, Christa Kinshofer, Franz Klammer, Philip Köster, Nia Künzer, Niki Lauda, Jens Lehmann, Tegla Loroupe, Joachim Löw, Garrett McNamara, Edwin Moses, Robby Naish, Ilie Nastase, Alexey Nemov, Brian O’Driscoll, Victoria Pendleton, Hugo Porta, Carles Puyol, Raul, Steve Redgrave, Jamie Redknapp, Markus Rehm, Nico Rosberg, David Rudisha, Anna Schaffelhuber, Axel Schulz, Daley Thompson, Pascal Wehrlein, Steve Waugh, Katarina Witt, Toto Wolff, Kathi Wörndl.
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