Laureus World Sports Awards was held at Berlin to celebrate 20 years of the prestigious awards. A starry night with global sports heroes under one roof!
Hosted by actor Hugh Grant, the sports legends were treated to entertainment at the Laureus World Sports Awards. British singer-songwriter Liam Payne, former member of One Direction performed at the event. Also, a tribute was paid to American basketball legend Kobe Bryant, who recently died in a helicopter crash.
Six time Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton and six time FIFA World Player of the Year footballer Lionel Messi were declared joint winners and clinched the ‘Laureus World Sportsman of the Year’ award at the glittering ceremony.
With 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 World Championships and Ballon d'Ors between them, @LewisHamilton and Lionel Messi share the #Laureus20 World Sportsman of the Year award – a moment of sporting history!
Congratulations guys!#SportUnitesUs pic.twitter.com/7akYcykux2
— Laureus (@LaureusSport) February 17, 2020
For the ‘Laureus Sporting Moment Award’, the award celebrates moments from the past two decades 2000 to 2020, where sport has unified people in the most extraordinary way. And the honour went to the ‘God of Cricket’ Sachin Tendulkar.
Being a part of the victorious 2011 ICC World Cup winning team, Tendulkar was carried on the shoulders by his teammates. The victory could not have been more historic as it was India’s first World Cup win on home soil and its second ever after a gap of 28 years.
"This is a reminder of how powerful sport is and what magic it does to all of our lives."
A God for a nation. An inspiration worldwide.
And an incredible speech from the Laureus Sporting Moment 2000 – 2020 winner, the great @sachin_rt 🇮🇳#Laureus20 #SportUnitesUs pic.twitter.com/dLrLA1GYQS
— Laureus (@LaureusSport) February 17, 2020
The ‘Laureus World Team of the Year’ award was presented to the 2019 Rugby World Cup winner South Africa. This is the team’s second ‘Laureus World Team’ honour, a sweet win!
An incredible Rugby World Cup triumph which showed the unique power of sport to unite 🙌
Congratulations @Springboks on winning the Laureus World Team of the Year 🇿🇦#Laureus20 #SportUnitesUs pic.twitter.com/MHOupckGv4
— Laureus (@LaureusSport) February 17, 2020
The other notable awardees are:
- World Sportswoman of the Year: Simone Biles
- World Breakthrough of the Year: Egan Bernal
- World Comeback of the Year: Sophia Florsch
- World Sportsperson of the year with a Disability: Oksana Masters
- World Action Sportsperson of the Year: Chloe Kim
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Dirk Nowitzki
- Exceptional Achievement Award: Spanish Basketball Federation
- Sport for Good Award: South Bronx United
