Nadal Bags World Sportsman of the Year Award
Tennis world number one Rafael Nadal bagged the highly prestigious World Sportsman of the Year award at the Laureus World Sports Awards on Tuesday. Nadal was up against the likes of Football greats such as Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta along with other four sporting greats. A remarkable run in the previous year by Nadal helped him bag the Laureus World Sports Awards which are considered as the sporting world’s Oscars. The awards ceremony was held in Abu Dhabi with the world’s major sporting Who’s Who present at the glittering event which also had a charity football match.
The nominations were made a year earlier after a worldwide online nomination by everyone. This is Nadal’s second Lureus awards after the 2006 breakthrough player of the year award. The Nike (NYSE:NKE) sponsored player received the award from Boris Becker, the German tennis legend and thanked very much for the award. Although Messi and Iniesta were the favorites to win the award with a great year gone past by which also included the football world cup.
Messi had recently won the FIFA world player of the year which has increased the chances of this Pepsi Co. (NYSE:PEP) sponsored players chances of being chosen as the Worlds Sportsman of the Year award. He is one of the most favorite players who Maradona sees himself in. It was a surprise to football fans over the world when Nadal was chosen over Messi. The world cup winning Spanish football team won the honor of the World Team of the Year Award. The team beat all odds to win the final against the German team. Paul the octopus was on the side of the Spanish team at least. This team also deserved the award since it followed the world cup win with a Europe’s Ryder Cup.
The team was unfortunately not at the awards ceremony to receive the award because of an upcoming international match for which training was going on. The world sportswoman of the year award was won by Lindsey Vonn an American Alpine skier. Lindsey had to fight against competition from Serena Williams, the two time US open winner, Kim Clisters, Belgian Tennis player and Caroline Wozniacki, the current world number one tennis player. Lindsey recently won the Olympic Downhill gold medal and her 3rd skiing world cup. French football great, Zinedine Zidane was awarded the lifetime achievement award after good 5 years after ending his international football career.
