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“Sport has the power to change the world, it has power to inspire. It has the power to unite people, in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth, in a language they understand. Sport, can create hope where once was only despair...

Laureus Academy: Changing Lives

by Long John Silver (Senior Writer)

38

599 reads

Opinion

December 09, 2008


“Sport has the power to change the world, it has power to inspire. It has the power to unite people, in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth, in a language they understand. Sport, can create hope where once was only despair. It is more powerful than Government, in breaking down racial barriers.” —Nelson Mandela, Laureus International Sports Awards, 2000

From Greenland to Perth, from Mongolia to Chile, in between the two poles and far beyond boundaries—The Laureus Sports Awards are undoubtedly the most prestigious accolades any athlete can aspire to.

It is where Hollywood glitterati meets the Sports bar. It is where Samuel Jackson, Eva Longoria, Cuba Gooding Junior (show me the money?), Kim Cattrall  (Samantha, Sex and the City) and Kyle Maclachlan (Desperate Housewives and Sex and the City) share a glass of wine with the best athletes in the world.

It is so prestigious that Russian Premier Vladimir Putin made personal calls to stage the 2008 Laureus Awards in St. Petersburg. King Juan Carlos was on roll call to present the awards when Laureus was staged in his home nation of Spain.

Edwin Moses, Kapil Dev, Ian Botham, Boris Becker, Mika Hakkinen and Navratilova are some of the best in their sports, who comprise the elite panel that nominates each year's athletes in their respective sports.

I love Laureus for it is truly an international organization. Unlike Sports Illustrated or the ESPY Awards, which predominantly favor American sports, Laureus presents awards from sports as diverse as cricket, tennis, formula one, rugby and athletics.

Federer has won Laureus four times for best athlete of the year, but what makes the Laureus awards so classy is that it has deservingly awarded American athletes consistently, from Lance Armstrong to Tiger Woods, from Serena Williams to Jennifer Capriati. Which, unfortunately, the main stream publications and awards often fail to do.They are either too focused on sports in one country or specific location.

Author Poll

Who do you think is the Laureus Sportsman of the year 2008 (award presented in 2009) ?

  • Rafael Nadal
  • Lewis Hamilton
  • Michael Phelps
vote to see results
Author Poll Results

Who do you think is the Laureus Sportsman of the year 2008 (award presented in 2009) ?

  • Rafael Nadal

    62.0%

  • Lewis Hamilton

    3.0%

  • Michael Phelps

    35.0%
  • Total votes: 100
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38 comments Last one added 6 months ago — Leave a Comment

  1. marybell xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 7 months ago

    Long, i have been watching Laureus Academy Awards full of pride and emotion the last years...You know the reason very well...The athletes i consider greatest among all, were dominant there..
    This year, i expect the super American fish to take it, because what he did, was extraordinary...
    But this does not mean i won't have a lump in my throat thinking of the 2 super-men, gracefull and glorious on that podium, the previous years....

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    • Long John Silver 7 months ago

      cant agree more with Super-Fish, he and i have a connection - we go to the same grad school to

      hes ia a fellow wolverine

      too bad that Rafa - had to contend with Fish this time around, even if you are Raf - you are only gonna lose to fish who is PERFECT !

      cheers - am glad you liked Michael won it too

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  2. Rock 7 months ago

    Yeah Laureus Sports award is much more global and more valued. Is it like the Nobel prize in sports category? Just curious, how many Cricketers were given this award lets say since the 80's and to whom?

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    • Long John Silver 7 months ago

      the indian cricket team - and the OZ cricket team won it ....

      kapil dev and ian botham are in the esteemed list that selects people -

      hence - so - there ya go

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    • Rock 7 months ago

      Thanks John. It started giving the awards only since 2000. Good to see they are considering Cricket as a global sport.

      For the interested, Sportsman of the year since 2000 was given to:

      Roger Federer - 4 ('07,'06,'05,'04)
      Michael Schumacher - 2 ('04,'02)
      Lance Armstrong - 1 ('03)
      Tiger Woods - 2 ('01,'00)

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laureus_World_Sports_Awards

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    • Rock 7 months ago

      ** Federer won it from 2008 - 2005.

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    • Long John Silver 7 months ago

      yeah - saw that, sad for him that it wont continue this year around - cheers
      ROCK @

      any guesses for this year - men and women ?

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    • Rock 7 months ago

      I think I'm going nuts here. The year shown in the website was the year they were presented the award, not for the year they achieved the award. But you folks know which player received how many times. That's important.

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    • Long John Silver 7 months ago

      it only started from 2000, and from then on .... OZ and Indian team have got it -

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    • Long John Silver 7 months ago

      it only started from 2000, and from then on .... OZ and Indian team have got it -

      its not cos - due to any nepotism, however, i dont remember any cricketer being nominated for the best sportsman category -

      only teams ...

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    • Long John Silver 7 months ago

      yeah rock

      this is for 07 - thats why Hamilton got the rookie award

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    • Rock 7 months ago

      Nadal should be my first choice to what he has achieved for his country. Michael Phelps has done something which no one has done before, winning 8 Olympic Gold.

      I'd still handpick Rafael Nadal because he has been consistent for over a period of five months from April - Aug, instead of just one event.

      Womens side? If you look at the split, 4 times they've given in the Athletics and three times they've given to the ones in Tennis. Because I cannot recollect anyone from the Athletics who has done exceedingly well, this time it should go the one from Tennis. Jelena Jankovic and Venus Williams (comeback sports woman) .

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    • Long John Silver 7 months ago

      JJ has slim, if no chance

      this is the pinnacle of sports awards -

      they arent gonna give it to someone who did not CLOCK a single slam !

      sorry mate - i gotta differ on that, justifiably so

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    • Rock 7 months ago

      No probs John. We are here to differ at times. It's something like the world will be such a happy place if everyone loved and prayed for Roger.

      I just shoed her in coz she momentarily gained No.1 year end ranking for her country. Who is your pick then ?

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    • Long John Silver 7 months ago

      PHELPS --

      women, am not sure ... i gotta dig deep, a golfer may be,

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    • Long John Silver 7 months ago

      I THINK Lorena has a chance, a mexican golfer - LPGA

      http://www.lpga.com/player_results.aspx?id=519

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    • Long John Silver 7 months ago

      i can also think usain bolt

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    • Rock 7 months ago

      Don't you think John, Bolt's achievement pales in comparison to Phelps' ?

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    • Long John Silver 7 months ago

      sorry mate

      i still gotta go with phelps'ie - a fellow wolverine

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  3. Cindy Hopcus 7 months ago

    When are the Laureus Awards given out? Have they announced their nominees for this past year? Thanks for the information!

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    • Long John Silver 7 months ago

      the laureus 2008 ended this past november (thats for the year 2007)

      the nominees for 2008 will be announced by june - huly 2009 - and the awards will be presented in november 2009 (or somewhere along there)

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  4. Lisa Horne 7 months ago

    Here here! Long, this was one of your best articles to date, and I never knew about this award.

    You know how it is here in the states- we are exposed to all things American, except for the Nobel Peace Prize. Thanks for bringing this to our attention, and thanks for sharing your passion for truly a great award.

    Our world is a giant planet, but by sharing bits and pieces of other countries' traditions with other nations, it suddenly becomes a smaller, cozier place.

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    • Long John Silver 7 months ago

      thanks for your time mate -

      yeah, Laureus is our version of ESPY'S only at a genuinely international scale. it is true isnt it, for all the distance between NY or San Fran to the streets of Perth, we are connected by the common spirit of sports.

      the medium through which we express trhat differs - but the spirit remains the same

      thanks for the Pick !

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  5. Andrew Nuschler 7 months ago

    I'd echo Lisa's sentiments.

    This would have gotten a POTD from me, even if it hadn't been genuinely well-written and a powerful read, just out of shear embarrassment that I'd never heard of the award/foundation. Sounds like it understands the real power of sports as a portal to significant social progress.

    And you are the absolute master of youtube.

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    • Andrew Nuschler 7 months ago

      Sorry, academy not foundation.

      And that Parkour stuff hurts my knees just watching it.

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    • Long John Silver 7 months ago

      yeah, thought about your work on the gay-lesbian rights thing in sports... and my only logical choice was Laureus, which definitely does its part in projects around the world

      cheers

      i did not quite get the Parkour stuff comment ?

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    • Long John Silver 7 months ago

      how is the kid sis - more soccer these days ?

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    • Andrew Nuschler 7 months ago

      I was gonna leave this on your profile, but may as well drive your comments up ;-)

      Parkour is what you call that running through the streets, etc. in the Morgan Freeman clip. Popularized by some French dude and I have no idea why it's called what it's called.

      Lil' sis is doing fine; soccer days long gone (well, maybe not long, but gone). She's in med school and just got engaged. Engagement wasn't totally shocking since she'd been dating the guy for several years, but still exciting for her.

      I'm just glad I don't have to stomp him (knock on wood); he's cool.

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    • Andrew Nuschler 7 months ago

      Check it out in your realm.

      Youtube "parkour." There is some mildly entertaining stuff there.

      This is the best I've seen yet (and I think it's the originator):

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PX44t3-62_U

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    • Long John Silver 7 months ago

      haaaa - now i got it

      i know right - its incredibly taking - am sure

      i can see flashes of the 'big brother' protectiveness rearing up .... so cute

      PS: since you are my good mate and i love takin the piss out of ya -

      so now you know which color Mikael Schuamcher really is ?

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    • Long John Silver 7 months ago

      incredibly physically taxing - that was

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    • Andrew Nuschler 7 months ago

      Lol re Schumacher.

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    • Long John Silver 7 months ago

      yea Andrew

      hes as pink as cotton candy !

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  6. J.A. Allen 7 months ago

    Lovely, Long...jaa

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  7. Gil 7 months ago

    Men - There is no competition this time around. What Lewis Hamilton did was incredible, winning the Championship the way he did in the Brazilian GP, when many people would have lost their heads when it gets so close.

    What Rafa Nadal did was just as amazing, if not more. Making Federer look like a rabbit at Roland Garros and then outlasting the man in a match people are calling one of the greatest ever, and the way he went about the 'conquering' mission - simply amazing.

    But No one delievered a histrionic half as incredible as what Phelps did at The Olympic Games. Hands down, Eyes Closed, The winner should be Phelps this year.

    Women - Isanbeyeva for sure, yet again, I dont see much competeition.

    and btw, good article Long, an indeed one of the best awards out there to felicitate the best of athletes and their achievements in the sporting world

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    • Long John Silver 7 months ago

      thanks for the response Gil - i hap to agree with Phelps as well for sure -

      any thoughts on Usain Bolt ?

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    • Gil 6 months ago

      Thunder Bolt's 'lightning pose' always made me wonder if his head is really intact...
      Lolz, On a serious note, Bolt was teriffic to be fair, and definitely worth nominating..

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