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ABU DHABI, March 9, 2010 – Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow is to attend the 2010 Laureus World Sports Awards on Wednesday (March 10) in Abu Dhabi.

She won an Oscar for her performance in Shakespeare in Love, and also starred in A Perfect Murder, The Talented Mr Ripley and more recently Iron Man.

Fellow Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey is to host the Awards Ceremony, which will also be attended by popular British film stars Hugh Grant and Clive Owen. Also among the special guests at the Awards will be Kyle MacLachlan, star of Desperate Housewives, and Michelle Rodriguez, who plays Trudy
Chacon in Avatar and was Ana Lucia Cortez in the TV series Lost.

The 2010 Laureus World Sports Awards, which recognise sporting achievement during the period January 1 - December 31, 2009, are the premier honours on the international sporting calendar. The winners are chosen by the Laureus World Sports Academy, the ultimate sports jury, made up of 46 of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of all time. The living legends of sport honouring the great athletes of today. Among the sporting celebrities attending the Awards Ceremony in Abu Dhabi are:

The names of the winners will be announced at a televised Awards Ceremony staged at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, which will also celebrate the first ten years in the life of Laureus.

The 2010 Laureus World Sports Awards will be supported by Host Partner Aabar Investments PJSC. Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, offers a fascinating combination of the old and the new; a blend of Arabian hospitality and mystique where a mixture of culture and tradition come together against a backdrop of the most modern world-class infrastructure. Abu Dhabi is developing a reputation as a leading international sporting venue. The Laureus World Sports Awards is the latest high profile sports event to be staged in Abu Dhabi. Last year Abu Dhabi was chosen to stage football’s FIFA Club World Cup, and the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix and the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship are now highlights of the sporting calendar in the city.

ABU DHABI, March 9, 2010 - The 2010 Laureus World Sports Awards has opened with positive messages from His Excellency Mohammed Ibrahim Al Mahmood, Secretary General of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, and Edwin Moses, the athletics legend who is chairman of the Laureus World Sports Academy.

In a speech to welcome the hundreds of media representatives who have flown in from around the globe to cover the glittering Awards Ceremony at the Emirates Palace Hotel, His Excellency said: "We are glad Abu Dhabi has the chance to host this international sports event.

"This capital has hosted a lot of sports events, especially the Formula One Grand Prix and the FIFA Club World Cup. But we would like to go further to achieve more goals in the sports field. This event gives us motivation to work harder in the United Arab Emirates, and especially in the Abu Dhabi emirate."

International sports stars and celebrities are already gathering to celebrate another year of tremendous sporting achievement, with a select few champions being honoured by the presentation of Laureus statuettes.

But Moses believes the Laureus Academy and Foundation can celebrate a full 10 years of successfully exploiting sport to do good around the world.

Moses, the 400m Olympic gold medalist and world record holder, said: "We initially started out as a Foundation without much direction, but with the thought of using sport as a tool for social change. We started out with about $1 million a year, but our turnover has really multiplied tremendously, especially in the last three years.

"That has enabled us to go from six projects in four countries to 72 projects in 38 countries. We now have nine Foundations spread out around the world, all headed up by Academy members. From an initial idea and 28 people in a room as the founding Academy members, we now have 46 members.

"There is no doubt that the Laureus World Sports Awards are now a major event on the international calendar. We're respected by those who win Awards, as well as by the world class athletes who come to support us."

His Excellency revealed his hope that the presence of so many champions will inspire the sportsmen and sportswomen of the region to reach new heights in the field of competitive endeavour.

He said: "We're hoping that one day one of our sportsmen or sportswomen will win an Award. That won't come without accepting challenges and without experience. But we are working hard to improve our young people, to open doors for them to practice sports and to achieve medals."

Nawal El Moutawakel, the first Muslim woman to win an Olympic medal when she triumphed in the 400m hurdles at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, applauded Abu Dhabi for encouraging more women to take part in sport.

Nawal, the first woman to chair the International Olympic Committee's coordination commission ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and a passionate supporter of women in sport, said: "Between when I competed in the early eighties and now, the difference is like day and night regarding the participation of Arab women and Muslim women in the arena of international sports.

"It is hard to imagine just how big the difference is. But it is still not easy for women to get a 'red carpet'. It is very difficult, as I well know.

"My event is the 400m hurdles, which has many barriers. There are ups and downs, it is not always flat and smooth. Women are having to fight for their rights, but I'm definitely sure that a good future belongs to this country, and belongs to this region. Women are there, we just need to give them a little push."

ABU DHABI, March 7, 2010 – Hollywood film star Kevin Spacey is to host the 2010 Laureus World Sports Awards, to be staged on Wednesday (March 10) in Abu Dhabi.

Kevin Spacey won Oscars for his roles in The Usual Suspects and American Beauty, and among his many other starring roles have been Seven, L A Confidential, Pay It Forward and Superman Returns.Since 2003, he has been artistic director of the Old Vic theatre in London.

Hugely popular British film stars Hugh Grant and Clive Owen are also among the special guests at the Awards, along with American actors Kyle MacLachlan, star of Desperate Housewives, and Michelle Rodriguez, who plays Trudy Chacon in Avatar and was Ana Lucia Cortez in the TV series Lost.

The 2010 Laureus World Sports Awards, which recognise sporting achievement during the period January 1 - December 31, 2009, are the premier honours on the international sporting calendar. The winners are chosen by the Laureus World Sports Academy, the ultimate sports jury, made up of 46 of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of all time.The living legends of sport honouring the great athletes of today. Among the sporting celebrities attending the Awards Ceremony in Abu Dhabi are:

The names of the winners will be announced at a televised Awards Ceremony staged at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, which will also celebrate the first ten years in the life of Laureus.

The 2010 Laureus World Sports Awards will be supported by Host Partner Aabar Investments PJSC. Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, offers a fascinating combination of the old and the new; a blend of Arabian hospitality and mystique where a mixture of culture and tradition come together against a backdrop of the most modern world-class infrastructure. Abu Dhabi is developing a reputation as a leading international sporting venue. The Laureus World Sports Awards is the latest high profile sports event to be staged in Abu Dhabi. Last year Abu Dhabi was chosen to stage football's FIFA Club World Cup, and the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix and the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship are now highlights of the sporting calendar in the city.

ABU DHABI, March 6, 2010 - Hugely popular British film stars Hugh Grant and Clive Owen will be among the special guests at the 2010 Laureus World Sports Awards to be staged in Abu Dhabi on the evening of Wednesday, March 10.

They will be joined at the Awards Ceremony by American actors Kyle MacLachlan, star of Desperate Housewives, and Michelle Rodriguez, who plays Trudy Chacon in Avatar and was Ana Lucia Cortez in the TV series Lost.

The 2010 Laureus World Sports Awards, which recognise sporting achievement during the period January 1 - December 31, 2009, are the premier honours on the international sporting calendar. The winners are chosen by the Laureus World Sports Academy, the ultimate sports jury, made up of 46 of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of all time.  The living legends of sport honouring the great athletes of today. Among the sporting celebrities attending the Awards Ceremony in Abu Dhabi are:

The names of the winners will be announced at a televised Awards Ceremony staged at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, which will also celebrate the first ten years in the life of Laureus.

The 2010 Laureus World Sports Awards will be supported by Host Partner Aabar Investments PJSC. Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, offers a fascinating combination of the old and the new; a blend of Arabian hospitality and mystique where a mixture of culture and tradition come together against a backdrop of the most modern world-class infrastructure. Abu Dhabi is developing a reputation as a leading international sporting venue. The Laureus World Sports Awards is the latest high profile sports event to be staged in Abu Dhabi. Last year Abu Dhabi was chosen to stage football's FIFA Club World Cup, and the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix and the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship are now highlights of the sporting calendar in the city.

ABU DHABI, March 5, 2010 - Many of the greatest names in sport will be attending the 2010 Laureus World Sports Awards to be held in Abu Dhabi on March 10.

England football coach Fabio Capello, World Heavweight Champion boxer Vitali Klitschko, Germany Women's football coach Silvia Neid, South Africa rugby coach Peter de Villiers and American 400 metres World Champion Sanya Richards are the latest sporting celebrities to confirm their attendance.

The Laureus World Sports Awards is the premier global sports awards honouring the greatest sportsmen and women across all sports each year.  The winners are selected by the ultimate sports jury - the members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, the living legends of sport honouring the greatest athletes of today.  Among the sporting celebrities attending the event in Abu Dhabi are:

Double Olympic gold medallist Edwin Moses, Chairman of the Laureus World Sports Academy, said: "This promises to be one of the best Awards we have ever staged. Already we have many great sportsmen and sportswomen, past and present, coming to Abu Dhabi. It was a thrilling year for sport and we look forward to celebrating that at a memorable Awards Ceremony. The Nominations reflect the immense strength of sport at the moment."

The 2010 Laureus World Sports Awards will be supported by host partner Aabar Investments PJSC. Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, offers a fascinating combination of the old and the new; a blend of Arabian hospitality and mystique where a mixture of culture and tradition come together against a backdrop of the most modern world-class infrastructure. Abu Dhabi is developing a reputation as a leading international sporting venue. The Laureus World Sports Awards is the latest high profile sports event to be staged in Abu Dhabi. Last year Abu Dhabi was chosen to stage football's FIFA Club World Cup, and the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix and the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship are now highlights of the sporting calendar in the city.

ABU DHABI, March 4, 2010 - A glittering collection of the world's greatest sports stars have just six days to wait to discover if they are winners of prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards to be announced in Abu Dhabi on March 10.

Last year's winner of the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award, Usain Bolt, and four-time winner Roger Federer have both been nominated again for the Award, along with FC Barcelona's precocious young footballer Lionel Messi, long distance runner Kenenisa Bekele, Tour de France winner Alberto Contador and Italy's seven-time senior MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi.

Two-time Laureus winner Serena Williams is nominated for the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award after winning two Grand Slam titles in 2009. Also short-listed are swimmers Federica Pellegrini and Britta Steffen, athletes Shelly-Ann Fraser and Sanya Richards, and US ski racer Lindsey Vonn.

Several of sport's biggest names - Tour de France cyclist and two-time Laureus winner Lance Armstrong, golfing legend Tom Watson and Belgian tennis star Kim Clijsters - have been nominated for the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award. Also nominated in this category are American Football quarter-back Brett Favre and athletes Jessica Ennis and Blanka Vlasic.

The Laureus World Team of the Year Award could be the most competitive battle with Los Angeles Lakers and New York Yankees pitched against FC Barcelona, the Germany Women's Football Team, Brawn GP Formula One and the South Africa Rugby Team, who were winners in 2008.

The Nominees for the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award include three Britons - Formula One World Champion Jenson Button, Tour de France cyclist Mark Cavendish and diver Tom Daley. Also nominated are Argentina's winner of the US Open tennis star Juan Martin del Potro, South Korea's talented young golfer Ji Yai Shin and German football team VFL Wolfsburg.

Wheelchair racer Kurt Fearnley, who crawled the 96km Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea to raise awareness of men's health issues, is nominated for the second time in four years for the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award, along with fellow Australian Justin Eveson, Turkish archer Gizem Girismen, Japan's Shingo Kunieda, German cyclist Michael Teuber and South African swimmer Natalie du Toit, who competes in both able-bodied and Paralympic events.

Surfing dominates the Laureus World Action Sports Award this year, with Australian world champions Mick Fanning and Stephanie Gilmore nominated along with American Greg Long and French windsurfer Antoine Albeau. Also nominated are US skateboarder Chris Cole and British cyclist Danny MacAskill.

For more detailed biographies of the 2010 Nominees go to www.laureus.com/Awards/2010/Nominees

The Laureus World Sports Awards, which recognise sporting achievement during the period January 1 - December 31, 2009, are the premier honours on the international sporting calendar. The winners, as voted by the Laureus World Sports Academy, the ultimate sports jury, made up of 46 of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of all time, will be unveiled during a televised Awards Ceremony in Abu Dhabi on March 10.

The 2010 Laureus World Sports Awards will be supported by host partner Aabar Investments PJSC. Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, offers a fascinating combination of the old and the new; a blend of Arabian hospitality and mystique where a mixture of culture and tradition come together against a backdrop of the most modern world-class infrastructure. Abu Dhabi is developing a reputation as a leading international sporting venue. The Laureus World Sports Awards is the latest high profile sports event to be staged in Abu Dhabi. Last year Abu Dhabi was chosen to stage football's FIFA Club World Cup, and the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix and the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship are now highlights of the sporting calendar in the city.

The Executive Committee of the Laureus World Sports Academy consists of:

• Dr. Edwin Moses, Chairman
• Mr. Boris Becker, Vice-Chairperson
• Ms. Tanni Grey Thompson, Vice-Chairperson
• Mr. Kapil Dev
• Mr. Daley Thompson
• Mr. Robby Naish