NADAL WINS LAUREUS WORLD SPORTS AWARD
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 08 Feb 2011
Tennis superstar and world No.1 Rafael Nadal has won the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award in what was described as a glittering red carpet showpiece hosted by two-time Oscar winner Kevin Spacey.
Among the six nominees for the prestigious award was pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao who is regarded as probably the greatest fighter of all-time having won a record eight world titles in eight different weight divisions.
Thousands of Filipinos who were watching the awards ceremony on television and hoping that somehow Pacquiao who hasn?t been to the region would win, were disappointed with the results.
Filipino reporter Ramona Ruiz of The National kept the Inquirer updated as the event progressed and informed us about the choice of Nadal. Among the other nominees aside from Pacquiao were Los Angeles Lakers NBA superstar Kobe Bryant, Formula I?s youngest world champion Sebastian Vettel , Argentine football star Lionel Messi, Spain?s football World Cup hero Andres Inesta of Barcelona.
Ruiz herself said it was ?disappointing? that Pacquiao didn?t win the award but said she ?rather expected it when told that Nadal was at the red carpet event on Sunday?, the eve of the awards ceremony.
While a majority of Filipinos said they were ?praying for Pacquiao to win? there were others who said they honestly felt Nadal deserved the award.
Respected British columnist Gareth Davies of the Daily Telegraph who is a member of the international voting panel of journalists said he believed Pacquiao deserved the award which he noted ?has been a long time coming and I have argued for this for some time, but finally, Manny Pacquiao has been shortlisted for the Laureus World Sports Awards. It should be his year, after winning in the ring in 2010, and being voted into Congress in The Philippines on a popular wave of support by his people.?
In pushing for recognition of the ?Fighter of the Decade? and perhaps the greatest boxer of all-time, Davies wrote ? I?ve thought for some time that Pacquiao is a more than worthy recipient of the award, transcending as he does, both boxing and politics in the Philippines. If the likes of Tiger Woods and Roger Federer are deserving of the accolade, then so too is Pacquiao, who has used his sporting ability, and fame, in his homeland as he attempts to work for the greater good. Brilliant in the ring, and could be even better outside it.?
The voting journalist concluded ?Underpinning the gloss and glamour of Laureus, is their work with communities faced with poverty, and particularly with young people. Pacquiao?s goal in the Philippines is no different. Time to give Manny the gong.?
Gary Meenaghan in an article in The National noted that Nadal, ? after winning three of his sport's four major titles last season, has visited the Middle East several times in the past 12 months and dominated centre court for the second successive year at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi only a few weeks ago.?
The writer also referred to Pacquiao as ? the pride pugilist of Asia, having maintained his reputation as arguably the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, revealed earlier this week that advanced talks have been held regarding a future fight in the Emirates and his next fight will be in Singapore.?
Meenaghan claimed that Kobe Bryant had no real presence in the Middle East and is not well known even as he pointed out that the Lakers, despite many rumors ?have yet to play a competitive game in the region while Bryant, as part of a Nike "Asia Tour" in 2009, visited the Philippines, Taiwan, Singapore, China and Hong Kong, but nowhere in West Asia.?
He added ?that is of course no reason to deny him a shining statuette this evening, but it does go some way in highlighting the genuine reach and international focus that sports such as football, tennis, Formula One and boxing enjoy.?
Top photo: Tennis superstar and world No.1 Rafael Nadal has won the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award while Alpine skier Lindsey Vonn from the US won the Sportswoman of the Year award in what was described as a glittering red carpet showpiece held at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi and hosted by by two-time Oscar winner Kevin Spacey.
Nadal was rewarded for an amazing 2010 season during which the Spaniard won three Grand Slams ?French Open, Wimbledon and US Open ? while Vonn earned the award in recognition of her third straight skiing World Cup win and the gold in the Olympic Downhill.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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