Novak Djokovic, the World No.1 tennis player (as of 22 April 2024) from Serbia, was honoured with the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year 2024 award at the Laureus World Sports Awards 2024.
- Aitana Bonmatí, a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Barcelona Football club (FC) and Spain women’s national team won the Laureus Sportswoman of the Year 2024 award.
Award Ceremony:
i.The 2024 Laureus World Sports Awards winners were honoured in a ceremony held at the Palacio de Cibeles, in the centre of Madrid, Sapin on 22 April 2024.
ii.2024 marks the 25th edition of the annual Laureus World Sports Awards.
iii.The 2024 award honours the greatest sportsmen, sportswomen and teams from 2023.
Points to Note:
i.This is the 5th time that Novak Djokovic has been honoured with the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award.
- Previously, he won the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award in 2012, 2015, 2016, and 2019.
- In 2023, he won his record 10th Australian Open title, 3rd French Open and 4th US Open.
ii.Aitana Bonmatí became the 1st football player to be named the Laureus Sportswoman of the Year Award.
- She was a part of the Spanish Women’s football team that won the FIFA (in (International Federation of Association Football) Women’s World Cup 2023 held in Australia and New Zealand.
- She also won the Golden Ball for Best Player at the 2023 FIFA World Cup.
Highlights of Other Laureus Awards:
i.Spain’s Women’s Football team was honoured with the Laureus World Team of the Year, and the first all-female team to win the Award.
ii.Jude Bellingham, an English Footballer won the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award, becoming the 1st footballer to win this award.
iii.Simone Biles, an American artistic gymnast won the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award for her sensational return to gymnastics nearly after a 2-year break.
- She is already a 3-time winner of Sportswoman of the Year (2017, 2019, and 2020).
iv.Diede de Groot, a Wheelchair Tennis player from the Netherlands won the Laureus World Sports Person of the Year with a Disability.
- He became the 2nd wheelchair tennis player, after Esther Vergeer’s (Dutch) success in 2008 and 2002, to pick up this award.
v.Arisa Trew, a 13-year-old Australian skateboarding star won the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year Award.
- She became the 1st woman skater to land a 720 (2 full rotations) in vert skateboarding at the Tony Hawk Vert Alert in Utah.
Laureus Sport for Good Award:
i.The 2024 Laureus Sport for Good Award was presented to Fundación Rafa Nadal, Spain’s multi-sport organisation.
ii.The organsiation uses sports and education to empower over 1,000 young people in economically challenged communities in India and Spain.
iii.Rafa Nadal, patron of the program, accepted the award on behalf of the foundation he has developed since its inception in 2010.
Winner of the Laureus World Sports Awards 2024:
| Category | Winner | Sport |
|---|---|---|
| Laureus World Sportsman of the Year | Novak Djokovic (Serbia) | Tennis |
| Laureus Sportswoman of the Year | Aitana Bonmatí (Spain) | Football |
| Laureus World Team of the Year | Spain’s Women’s Football Team | Football |
| Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year | Jude Bellingham (United Kingdom) | Football |
| Laureus World Comeback of the Year | Simone Biles (United States of America) | Gymnastics |
| Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability | Diede De Groot (Netherlands) | Wheelchair Tennis |
| Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year | Arisa Trew (Australia) | Skateboarding |
| Laureus Sport for Good | Fundación Rafa Nadal (Spain) | Global |
About Laureus World Sports Awards:
i.It is an annual event initiated in 2000, to celebrate exceptional sporting achievements while highlighting the impact of Laureus Sport for Good.
- The award is presented in seven categories of the Award are Sportswoman, Sportsman, Team, Breakthrough, Comeback, Action, and Sport for Good.
ii.Shortlists for the 7 categories are selected through the votes of over 1,000 sports media representatives from over 70 countries.
iii.Shortlist of the World Athlete of the Year with a Disability provided by the International Paralympic Committee.
iv.The Laureus World Sports Academy (a unique group of sporting legends), the 69-strong body, votes for the winners in each shortlisted category.
- The Academy also can grant discretionary awards, such as the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award.
Note: Laureus World Sports Awards Limited is a company registered in England and Wales, United Kingdom (UK).
Recent related News:
Indian Olympian Neeraj Chopra was awarded the Sportstar of the Year (Male) award at the 2024 Sportstar Aces Awards held at the Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
