Lionel Messi, Argentine professional footballer and forward of Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain(PSG), was honoured with the Laureus World Sportsman Of The Year 2023 at the 2023 Laureus World Sports Awards.
- Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Jamaican track and field sprinter, won the Laureus World Sportswoman Of The Year 2023
The winners of the 2023 Laureus World Sports Awards, the most prestigious honours in sport, were honoured in the ceremony held on 8th May 2023 in Paris, France.
- Laureus Awards 2023 marks the 24th edition of the Laureus World Sports Awards.
- The 2023 Awards will honour the most memorable sporting performances of 2022.
Key Points:
i.This is the 2nd time that Lionel Messi has been honoured with the Laureus World Sportsman Of The Year Award. In 2020, he shared the award with British race car driver Lewis Hamilton.
- He also became the first person to win the team and individual award in the same year(2023).
ii.Lionel Messi, who won the 2022 Football World Cup with Argentina, was nominated for the Laureus World Sportsman Of The Year Award along with PSG teammate Kylian Mbappé, Max Verstappen (motor racing), Mondo Duplantis(athletics), Rafael Nadal(Tennis) and Stephen Curry(Basketball).
iii.Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce won the 100 metres gold medal in the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, and become the 1st person to win five golds in an individual track event at the championships.
- She has won more global 100 metres titles than any other sprinter in history. She has also won the Olympic gold medals in 2008(Beijing, China) and 2012(London, United Kingdom).
- Previously she was nominated for the Laureus Award in 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2020.
Highlights:
i.Danish footballer Christian Eriksen who also plays for Manchester United, won the Laureus World Comeback of the Year award.
- Christian Eriksen, who suffered a cardiac arrest during the Euro 2020 game against Finland, returned to the field in January 2022.
ii.Swiss para-athlete Catherine Debrunner won the Laureus World Sportsperson Of The Year With A Disability after winning two marathons – 2022 Berlin Marathon and the 2022 London Marathon.
iii.The Sport for Good Award was presented to TeamUp, a programme for children displaced by war, by Barcelona and Poland star Robert Lewandowski.
- Note: Slum Soccer, a project based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu(TN), which aims to use soccer to tackle the root causes of homelessness in India, has been shortlisted for the 2023 Laureus World Sports Awards under Laureus Sport For Good category.
Winners of the 2023 Laureus World Sports Awards:
| Category | Winner | Sport |
|---|---|---|
| Laureus World Sportsman Of The Year | Lionel Messi (Argentina) | Football |
| Laureus World Sportswoman Of The Year | Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jamaica) | Athletics – track and field sprinter |
| Laureus World Team Of The Year | Argentina Men’s Football Team | Football |
| Laureus World Breakthrough Of The Year | Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) | Tennis |
| Laureus World Comeback Of The Year | Christian Eriksen (Denmark) | Football |
| Laureus World Sportsperson Of The Year With A Disability | Catherine Debrunner (Switzerland) | Para Athletics – wheelchair racer |
| Laureus World Action Sportsperson Of The Year | Eileen Gu (China) | Freestyle Skiing
|
| Laureus Sport For Good | Teamup | Global |
Laureus Sport for Good:
i.Laureus’ Sport for Good City programme has been active in Paris since 2019.
ii.Laureus Sport for Good Award recognises an individual or organisation that has made a significant contribution to transforming the lives of children and young people through sport.
About Laureus World Sports Awards:
i.Laureus World Sports Awards Limited is a company registered in England and Wales
ii.Laureus World Sports Awards, first presented in 2000, is the annual event that honours the greatest and most inspirational sporting triumphs of the year and showcases the work of Laureus Sport for Good.
iii.The winners of the Laureus World Sports Awards are selected by the ultimate sports jury – the 71 Members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, the living legends of sport honouring the greatest athletes of today.
