POSTED: Tuesday February 2nd 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BRAWN IN POLE POSITION AS YANKEES, LAKERS AND STEELERS HEAD AMERICAN BID FOR NOMINATION FOR LAUREUS WORLD TEAM OF THE YEAR AWARD
World’s media to choose six top teams as Nominees for Laureus Award
FC Barcelona & German Women’s Football Team among Nomination hopefuls
• Laureus World Sports Awards to be held in Abu Dhabi on March 10
LONDON, February 2, 2010 - Three of the United States most legendary teams and an unheralded newcomer are among the hot favourites to be nominated for the 2010 Laureus World Team of the Year Award. It was records all round as Los Angeles Lakers, New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Steelers won their sport’s major championships in 2009, while the Brawn Formula One team astonished the motor sport world by winning the Formula One constructors’ and drivers’ world championships in its debut season.
The Laureus World Sports Awards, which recognise sporting achievement during the period January 1, 2009 - December 31, 2009, are recognised as the premier honours on the international sporting calendar.
The eventual winners, chosen by the Laureus World Sports Academy, the ultimate sports jury made up of 46 of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of all time, will be unveiled during a televised Awards Ceremony in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, March 10, 2010.
H.E. Khadem Al Qubaisi, Chairman of Aabar Investments PJSC, host partner of the 2010 Laureus World Sports Awards, said: “We are delighted that Abu Dhabi has been chosen to host the 2010 Laureus World Sports Awards. Sport is close to the hearts of all our people. Abu Dhabi is a city that harmoniously combines historic traditions and modern values. I am confident that active construction of sport facilities and creation of well-developed infrastructure makes Abu Dhabi an ideal venue for sports events of global significance. I am confident that our partnership with the Laureus World Sports Awards will be enormously successful.
“Aabar Investments PJSC, as the host partner of the event, is honoured to bring this prestigious occasion to Abu Dhabi and to play a pivotal role in an event that touches the lives of so many globally. As a universal language, sports have no boundaries and create a positive impact on future generations. Aabar hopes to enhance awareness of the importance of sport to society and to develop its relationship with the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation,” he added.
The Brawn Formula One Team amazed Formula One in 2009 by winning the drivers and constructors world titles in its debut year. Brawn was formed from the defunct Honda team in March 2009 when Ross Brawn, former technical director of Benetton, Ferrari and Honda, led a management buyout, following the Japanese manufacturer’s withdrawal from Grand Prix racing. With engines supplied by Mercedes-Benz, Brawn won the World Constructors Championship with their drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello, and Button won the individual World Championship. During the year, Button won six Grand Prix and Barrichello won two.
Thousands of fans came onto the streets to celebrate the New York Yankees’ 27th - and record - World Series triumph after their victory in November over reigning champions Philadelphia Phillies. The Yankees’ World Series title was their first since 2000. In those nine years, owner George Steinbrenner has spent freely to put together a winning side, which includes the celebrated Alex Rodriguez. The hero of the World Series victory was Hideki Matsui, who became the first Japanese-born player to be named Most Valuable Player in the World Series.
Los Angeles Lakers won their 15th NBA title in 2009 in their record 30th play-off appearance. Only Boston Celtics have a better record with 17 titles. After losing in the 2008 play-offs, the Lakers came back to win the championship, beating Orlando Magic 4-1 in the final. Kobe Bryant was named Most Valuable Player in the finals for the first time in his career. While Pittsburgh Steelers won their record sixth Super Bowl in 2009 when they beat Arizona Cardinals 27-23. It was a particular success for Mike Tomlin, who joined the team in January 2007 and at 36, became the youngest head coach to win the Super Bowl.
FC Barcelona, under coach Josep Guardiola, won their third Champions League/European Cup final in May 2009 beating English club Manchester United 2-0 in Rome, to add to their victories in 1992 and 2006. Barcelona also won a Spanish domestic double - winning the La Liga championship and the Copa del Rey. It was the first time a Spanish club had won the three competitions in the same season. Star player Lionel Messi was also named FIFA World Player of the Year.
Germany Women’s Football Team showed they were the most dominant national football team in the world by winning their fifth straight European Championship title, a feat which included an overwhelming 6-2 win over England in the final. They have also won the Women’s World Cup twice, in 2003 and 2007. Since the inception of the European Women’s Championship, Germany have been winners on seven occasions.
The Brazil Men’s Football Team denied the United States a shock victory by coming back from two goals down in the final to win the Confederations Cup in South Africa, a success which will give the five-times football world champions a major boost going into the 2010 World Cup. The US had a half time 2-0 lead, but Brazil struck back with two goals from Luis Fabiano and the winner from Lucio.
In other sports, the South African Rugby Team were named International Rugby Board Team of the Year in 2009, edging out Six Nations winners Ireland. The year began with a closely-fought 2-1 series win over the British and Irish Lions, which they followed with a convincing win in the Tri Nations Series, beating the All Blacks twice and losing only to Australia in Brisbane. Those performances took them to No 1 in the IRB rankings.
Golfer Morgan Pressel delivered the clinching point with her 3&2 victory over Anna Nordqvist to give the United States Solheim Cup Team their third straight win over Europe, at Rich Harvest Farms in Illinois. At one point on the final day the singles scores were level, but eventually the US took control to win the session 8-4 to give an overall match score of 16-12. Michelle Wie, 19, who birdied the final hole to beat Helen Alfredsson, was the best American performer, going through the week unbeaten.
Pittsburgh Penguins ice hockey team became the first team since Edmonton Oilers in the Wayne Gretzky era to win the Stanley Cup having lost in the final the previous year. They also became the first team in 30 years to win the final play-off game on the road - at Detroit Red Wings - to clinch the title. Pittsburgh had struggled in the first half of the season, but they brought in Dan Bylsma as head coach in February and the team went 18-3-4, including 10-1-2 in March, to reach the play-offs.
Double Olympic gold medallist Edwin Moses, Chairman of the Laureus World Sports Academy, said: “We have never had an American winner of the Laureus Team of the Year Award, so as an American I hope to see some of these great American teams nominated, but there is going to be great competition this year, so we will have to wait to see. I think it’s going to be a very tough decision to find the winners, who will receive their Award in our exciting new Awards Ceremony venue of Abu Dhabi.”
Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, offers a fascinating combination of the old and the new; a blend of Arabic hospitality and mystique where a mixture of culture and tradition come together against a backdrop of the most modern world-class infrastructure. Abu Dhabi is developing a reputation as a great sporting venue. The Laureus World Sports Awards is the latest high profile sports event to be staged in Abu Dhabi. Last year FIFA chose Abu Dhabi to stage football’s World Club Championship, and the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix and the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship are now highlights of the sporting calendar in the city.
There is a two-part voting process to find the winners of the Laureus World Sports Awards. Firstly, a Selection Panel of the world’s leading sports editors, writers and broadcasters from over 150 countries votes to create a shortlist of six nominations in various categories including Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year, Laureus World Team of the Year, Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year and Laureus World Comeback of the Year. Then the members of the Laureus World Sports Academy vote by secret ballot to select the Award winners.
The Laureus Academy members also vote for the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability and the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year, the nominations for which are made by specialist panels.
For further information please contact:
Mal Thompson
Laureus Global Communications
Tel: +44 (0)20 7514 2863
Fax: +44 (0)20 7514 2837
Email: publicrelations@laureus.com
Website: www.laureus.com
For photos of Laureus events please visit www.laureusarchive.com
NB: Information correct at time of going to press
NOTES TO EDITORS
The Patron of Laureus is Nelson Mandela. At the inaugural Laureus World Sports Awards in 2000, President Mandela said: “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. Sport can awaken hope where there was previously only despair.” This has become the philosophy of Laureus; the driving force behind its work.
Laureus is a universal movement that celebrates the power of sport to bring people together as a force for good. Laureus is composed of three core elements - the Laureus World Sports Academy, the Laureus World Sports Awards and the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation - which collectively celebrate sporting excellence and harness the power of sport to promote social change.
The members of the Laureus World Sports Academy are: Giacomo Agostini, Marcus Allen, Severiano Ballesteros, Franz Beckenbauer, Boris Becker, Ian Botham, Sergey Bubka, Bobby Charlton, Sebastian Coe, Nadia Comaneci, Yaping Deng, Marcel Desailly, Kapil Dev, David Douillet, Emerson Fittipaldi, Sean Fitzpatrick, Dawn Fraser, Cathy Freeman, Tanni Grey-Thompson, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Mika Häkkinen, Tony Hawk, Mike Horn, Miguel Indurain, Michael Johnson, Kip Keino, Franz Klammer, Dan Marino, John McEnroe, Edwin Moses (Chairman), Nawal El Moutawakel, Robby Naish, Ilie Nastase, Martina Navratilova, Alexei Nemov, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Morné du Plessis, Hugo Porta, Vivian Richards, Monica Seles, Mark Spitz, Daley Thompson, Alberto Tomba, Steve Waugh and Katarina Witt.
The Laureus Academy members volunteer their services as global ambassadors for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, which was set up to promote the use of sport as a tool for social change. The Foundation addresses social challenges through a worldwide programme of sports related community development initiatives. Since its inception Laureus has raised €20 million for projects which have helped improve the lives of more than one million young people. The Foundation addresses issues in particular involving, but not limited to, young people impacted by social exclusion, gun and gang violence, discrimination, community integration, peace and reconciliation, and education.
The Laureus World Sports Awards is the premier global sports awards honouring the greatest sportsmen and women across all sports each year. The winners are selected by the ultimate sports jury - the 46 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, the living legends of sport honouring the great athletes of today. The Awards are presented at an annual Awards Ceremony, attended by global figures from sport and entertainment, which is broadcast to 100 countries and territories.
Proceeds from the Laureus World Sports Awards directly benefit and underpin the work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation which supports over 70 community sports projects around the world.
Laureus was founded by its Patrons Richemont and Daimler and is supported by its Global Partners Mercedes-Benz, IWC Schaffhausen and Vodafone.
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz, the world’s oldest automaker, can look back on a unique tradition. It is the most valuable automotive premium brand which stands for quality, safety, comfort, fascinating design and sustainable mobility. Mercedes-Benz enjoys an excellent reputation, particularly in the area of safety technology. Many pioneering technical innovations that are standard automotive features today were first seen in a Mercedes-Benz car. The Mercedes-Benz engineers will in future consistently reinvent the automobile - with the same enthusiasm and innovation like Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz in 1886. Mercedes-Benz is a Global Partner of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. Since the beginning of the Foundations’ operations in 2000, Mercedes-Benz has shared and supported the goals and values of this worldwide charity programme where sports play the core role in the fight against social issues - Laureus has become a vital element of the corporate social responsibility programme of Mercedes-Benz.
IWC Schaffhausen
For more than 140 years, IWC Schaffhausen has been producing precision products of complex functionality and outstanding user-friendliness for watch connoisseurs who expect more from their watch than an accurate display. Since its foundation in 1868, the International Watch Company has built up a reputation as a long-established Swiss watchmaking firm with a passion for inventions, innovative solutions and technical refinements. Today the brand is more successful than at any time in its history. IWC uses this strength in a programme of corporate social responsibility initiatives at home and abroad. In 2005, IWC entered into a long-term commitment to become a Global Partner of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.
Vodafone
Vodafone, the world's leading international mobile communications group, with over 323 million proportionate customers and equity interests in 31 countries across five continents and a further 40 partner networks worldwide, is supporting Laureus as a new Global Partner, with a five year agreement which began in 2008 and concludes in 2012. Vodafone is a long-standing supporter of sport sponsorship and is pleased to be part of an organisation that celebrates sporting excellence both at a grass roots level through the humanitarian work worldwide of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation and at elite level through the annual Laureus World Sports Awards, which honours the achievements of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen.
Aabar Investments PJSC
Aabar is an investment company headquartered in Abu Dhabi. Its largest stakeholder is the International Petroleum Investment Company, which in turn is wholly owned by the Government of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Aabar is supporting Laureus as the host partner for the 2010 Laureus World Sports Awards. Aabar is honoured to be given the chance to be part of the event and to bring it to Abu Dhabi. Aabar is looking forward to developing its relationship with the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation and introducing opportunities and projects to the region.
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Keywords · Laureus World Sports Awards · Yankees · Lakers · Steelers
Name: Mal Thompson
Organization: Laureus Global Communications
Email:
Phone: +44 (0)20 7514 2863
URL: www.laureus.com
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