Formula One
world champion Sebastian Vettel is among the three young sports stars who have
been honoured at the 2014 Laureus World Sports Awards in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia. According to a press statement, Germany’s Sebastian Vettel, the
youngest four-time Formula One world champion in history at 26, was named
Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, US swimmer Missy Franklin, at 18, became
the youngest ever winner of the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award,
while Spain’s Marc Márquez received the Laureus Breakthrough of the Year Award,
after winning the World MotoGP Championship at just 20 years and 266 days.
The Laureus
World Sports Awards are the premier honours on the international sporting
calendar. The winners are chosen by the
Laureus World Sports Academy, a prestigious sports jury, made up of 46 of the
greatest living sportsmen and sportswomen. Proceeds from the Laureus World
Sports Awards directly benefit and underpin the work of the Laureus Sport for
Good Foundation. Since its inception, Laureus has raised €60 million for
projects which have improved the lives of millions of young people.
India too
figured in the list of awards as the Laureus Sport for Good Award was presented
to Magic Bus, the sports-based community project in India. Magic Bus, an innovative project, has been
transforming the lives of hundreds of thousands of underprivileged children in
India. Magic Bus, founded by Englishman Matthew Spacie and based in Mumbai,
aims to take children out of poverty through a programme of mentoring and
coaching. Since 2001, the Magic Bus programme has grown to embrace over 300,000
children in 12 states each week, and Spacie’s ambition now is to reach out to
one million children each week by 2016.
Meanwhile,
Sebastian Vettel’s success was particularly satisfying for the young German
racer, who had been nominated five times for a Laureus Award, before finally
winning. His fourth straight World Championship in 2013 saw him join motor
racing legends Juan Manuel Fangio, Michael Schumacher and Alain Prost, who all
won at least four times, but he did it more quickly than them – at just 26
years and 116 days.
There was
double delight for both Germany and Spain.Bayern Munich joined Vettel as
winners, taking the Laureus World Team of the Year Award, while tennis maestro
Rafael Nadal received the Laureus Comeback Award to celebrate, with Márquez, a
wonderful night for Spanish sport.
Picture courtesy Laureus World Sports Academy