TENNIS LEGEND LI NA TO ATTEND LAUREUS WORLD SPORTS AWARDS
- Li Na joins great names of Chinese sport - Deng Yaping, Li Ning, Li Xiaopeng, Yang Yang, Yao Ming and Sun Wen - for Awards Ceremony in Shanghai
- Film and TV star Benedict Cumberbatch to host Laureus Awards
- Laureus World Sports Awards to be held in Shanghai on April 15
SHANGHAI, April 9, 2015 – Tennis star Li Na is the latest Chinese sporting legend to confirm she will attend next week’s Laureus World Sports Awards in Shanghai.
Li Na will join great Olympians Deng Yaping, Li Ning, Li Xiaopeng and Yang Yang, plus Yao Ming, former NBA star of the Houston Rockets, and Sun Wen, voted FIFA Women’s Player of the Century, for the globally televised Laureus Awards Ceremony at the Shanghai Grand Theatre on April 15. Deng Yaping, Li Xiaopeng and Yang Yang are all members of the Laureus World Sports Academy.
Li Na has been a great pioneer for tennis in China. In 2014 she won her second Grand Slam at the Australian Open and achieved a career-best ranking of world No.2. However, seven months later she was forced to retire, at 32, because of knee injuries. She also won the 2011 French Open. As the first Chinese player to win a Grand Slam event, she has a huge following in the country. Li Na has been nominated for the 2015 Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award.
The Laureus World Sports Awards is the premier honours event on the international sporting calendar. The winners are selected by the votes of the Laureus World Sports Academy, the ultimate sports jury, made up of 50 of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of all time.
The Laureus World Sports Awards will be hosted by film and TV star Benedict Cumberbatch. Also presenting Awards will be Henry Cavill, widely acclaimed for his role as Superman in Man of Steel, and award winning Korean actress Ha Ji-won. The list of Laureus Academy Members, Ambassadors, Nominees and Guests so far confirmed for Shanghai reads like a sporting who’s who:
- Valerie Adams
- Marcus Allen
- Annabelle Bond
- Schalk Burger
- Cafu
- Eric Cantona
- Fabio Capello
- Nadia Comaneci
- Mick Doohan
- Emerson Fittipaldi
- Sean Fitzpatrick
- Dawn Fraser
- Cathy Freeman
- Shelley Gautier
- Tanni Grey-Thompson
- Ruud Gullit
- Marvelous Marvin Hagler
- Mika Hakkinen
- Michael Holding
- Mike Horn
- Nyjah Huston
- Michael Johnson
- Kip Keino
- Franz Klammer
- Janica Kostelic
- Leung Yuk Wing
- Li Xiaopeng
- Vanesa Lorenzo
- Tegla Loroupe
- Danny MacAskill
- Tina Maze
- Heyneke Meyer
- Edwin Moses
- Robby Naish
- Ilie Nastase
- Alexey Nemov
- Roman Petushkov
- Morné du Plessis
- Hugo Porta
- Carles Puyol
- Louis Saha
- Mark Spitz
- Sarah Storey
- Sun Wen
- Sachin Tendulkar
- Pierre Vaultier
- Jean de Villiers
- Steve Waugh
- Ireen Wüst
- Yang Yang
- Yao Ming
Proceeds from the Laureus World Sports Awards directly benefit and underpin the work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, which supports more than 150 community sports projects in 34 countries, including China. Since its inception, Laureus has raised over €60 million for projects which have improved the lives of millions of young people.
The Awards Ceremony, attended by legends of sport past and present, 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 will receive the strong support of the Shanghai Municipal Government.
The full list of Nominees for the 2015 Laureus World Sports Awards is:
Laureus World Sportsman of the Year
Novak Djokovic (Serbia) Tennis; Lewis Hamilton (UK) Motor Racing; Renaud Lavillenie (France) Athletics; Rory McIlroy (UK) Golf; Marc Márquez (Spain) Motor Cycling; Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) Football.
Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year
Valerie Adams (NZ) Athletics; Marit Bjørgen (Norway) Nordic Skiing; Genzebe Dibaba (Ethiopia) Athletics; Tina Maze (Slovenia) Alpine Skiing; Li Na (China) Tennis: Serena Williams (US) Tennis.
Laureus World Team of the Year
European Ryder Cup Team (Golf); Germany Men’s Football Team; Mercedes AMG Petronas Team (Germany); Real Madrid Football Team (Spain); San Antonio Spurs (US) Basketball; Switzerland Davis Cup Team (Tennis).
Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award
Marin Cilic (Croatia) Tennis; Mario Götze (Germany) Football; Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Motor Racing; James Rodriguez (Colombia) Football; Mikaela Shiffrin (US) Alpine Skiing; Switzerland Davis Cup Team (Tennis).
Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award
Francesco Acerbi (Italy) Football; Schalk Burger (South Africa) Rugby; Diego Milito (Argentina) Football; Jo Pavey (UK) Athletics; Pierre Vaultier (France) Snowboarding; Oliver Wilson (UK) Golf.
Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability
Shelley Gautier (Canada) Cycling; Tatyana McFadden (US) Wheelchair Racing; Roman Petushkov (Russia) Nordic Skiing; Anna Schaffelhuber (Germany) Alpine Skiing; Sarah Storey (UK) Cycling; Leung Yuk Wing (Hong Kong SAR China) Boccia.
Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year Award
Alan Eustace (US) Skydiving; Stephanie Gilmore (Australia) Surfing; Nyjah Huston (US) Skateboarding; Sage Kotsenburg (US) Snowboarding; Danny MacAskill (UK) Trials Cycling; Gabriel Medina (Brazil) Surfing.
For more detailed biographies of Nominees, click here.
Among the sporting greats who have previously been named as winners of Laureus Awards over the last 15 years have been Usain Bolt, Sebastian Coe, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Alex Ferguson, Lewis Hamilton, Kelly Holmes, Yao Ming, Rafael Nadal, Pelé, Steve Redgrave, Ronaldo, Michael Schumacher, Kelly Slater, Shaun White, Serena Williams, Liu Xiang and Zinedine Zidane.
Guests who have attended previous Awards Ceremonies in the past have included David and Victoria Beckham, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Jackie Chan, Thandie Newton, Clive Owen and Eva Longoria.
Click here for more news about the Laureus World Sports Awards 2015
