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Sports Stars Dan Carter And Johan Cruyff To Attend Laureus World Sports Awards

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  • A-list gathering in Kuala Lumpur includes ‘Rush’ star Daniel Brühl and Chinese actress and supermodel Du Juan
  • Top Malaysian sports stars Nicol David and Lee Chong Wei to be present for prestigious 2014 Laureus Awards Ceremony
  • Laureus World Sports Awards to be held in Kuala Lumpur, March 24-26
  • Apply for media accreditation at http://accreditation.laureus.com
 
KUALA LUMPUR, March 20, 2014 – Dutch football maestro Johan Cruyff and All Blacks rugby legend Dan Carter are among the latest sporting greats to confirm attendance at the 2014 Laureus World Sports Awards in Kuala Lumpur next week.
 
German actor Daniel Brühl, who could easily be mistaken as a sportsman following his brilliant portrayal of Niki Lauda in the film Rush, is the latest entertainment star to confirm attendance, along with Chinese supermodel and actress Du Juan.
 
Also present will be two of Malaysia’s greatest sports stars, seven-times world squash champion Nicol David and badminton world No 1 Lee Chong Wei.
 
The 15th Laureus World Sports Awards, which recognise sporting achievement, 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 at a globally televised Awards Ceremony staged at Istana Budaya in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Wednesday, March 26.
 
Great Olympians such as Sebastian Coe, Michael Johnson and Mark Spitz, football giants Bobby Charlton, Marcel Desailly and Ruud Gullit and sports legends, including boxing’s Marvelous Marvin Hagler, rugby’s Sean Fitzpatrick and skateboard legend Tony Hawk, will be attending the prestigious event.
 
British actor Benedict Cumberbatch will host the Awards Ceremony and Oscar and Grammy winner Jamie Foxx will perform to the star-studded audience. Among the Laureus Academy Members,
Ambassadors, Nominees and Guests so far confirmed for Kuala Lumpur are:
 
Giacomo Agostini
Marcel Desailly
Nico Hülkenberg
Ilie N?stase
Vítor Baía
Kapil Dev
Michael Johnson
Alexey Nemov
Jamie Bestwick
Mick Doohan
Franz Klammer
Antonis Nikopolidis
Ronald de Boer
Du Juan
Kip Keino
Sophie Pascoe
Daniel Brühl
Paulo Ferreira
Michael Laudrup
Patrick Peterson
Sergey Bubka
Sean Fitzpatrick
Lee Chong Wei
Morné du Plessis
Fabio Capello
Dawn Fraser
Tegla Loroupe
Hugo Porta
Dan Carter
Maya Gabeira
Steve McManaman
Sarah Louise Rung
Bobby Charlton
Stephanie Gilmore
Marc Márquez
Jimmy Spithill
Sebastian Coe
Ruud Gullit
Gaizka Mendieta
Mark Spitz
Nadia Comaneci
Marvelous Marvin Hagler
Luis Milla
Terrell Suggs
Johan Cruyff
Tony Hawk
Edwin Moses
Daley Thompson
Nicol David
Raphael Holzdeppe
Hidetoshi Nakata
Steve Waugh
Deng Yaping
  
 
Proceeds from the Laureus World Sports Awards directly benefit and underpin the work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, which supports more than 140 community sports projects in 34 countries. Since its inception, Laureus has raised over €60 million for projects which have improved the lives of millions of young people.
 
Yayasan Rakyat 1Malaysia (YR1M) is the corporate social responsibility partner of the Laureus World Sports Awards and has been working with the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation to help young people in Malaysia through the use of sport. Edwin Moses said: “We are not just in Malaysia for the Laureus Awards. We have been working with YR1M to do what we can to help young people. We are really delighted to be working with such excellent partners as YR1M and we hope our activities will make a difference.”
 
YB Dato' Seri Mohamed Nazri, Minister of Tourism & Culture of  Malaysia, said: “Kuala Lumpur is honoured to have been given the privilege of hosting the prestigious 2014 Laureus World Sports Awards and the city looks forward to staging this internationally-renowned event and welcoming a plethora of sporting legends to Malaysia. This is a sports-loving country and I can promise warm Malaysian hospitality awaits all our guests. Coupled with international events such as the Monsoon Cup and Formula One Grand Prix, we are supremely confident that Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is the perfect host for a sporting event with such global significance. I am positive this will be an event to remember for all involved.”
 
The full list of Nominees for the 2014 Laureus World Sports Awards is:
 
Laureus World Sportsman of the Year
Usain Bolt (Jamaica) Athletics; Mo Farah (UK) Athletics; LeBron James (US) Basketball; Rafael Nadal (Spain) Tennis; Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) Football; Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Motor Racing.
 
Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year
Nadine Angerer (Germany) Football; Missy Franklin (US) Swimming; Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jamaica) Athletics; Yelena Isinbayeva (Russia) Athletics; Tina Maze (Slovenia) Skiing; Serena Williams (US) Tennis.
Laureus World Team of the Year
All Blacks (NZ) Rugby Union; Bayern Munich (Germany) Football; Brazil Men’s Football Team; Bob & Mike Bryan (US) Tennis; Miami Heat (US) Basketball; Red Bull (Austria) Motor Racing.
Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year
Afghanistan Cricket Team; Marc Márquez (Spain) Motor Cycling; Raphael Holzdeppe (Germany) Athletics; Nairo Quintana (Colombia) Cycling; Justin Rose (UK) Golf; Adam Scott (Australia) Golf.
 
Laureus World Comeback of the Year
Yelena Isinbayeva (Russia) Athletics; Rafael Nadal (Spain) Tennis; Oracle Team USA – Sailing; Tony Parker (France) Basketball; Ronaldinho (Brazil) Football; Tiger Woods (US) Golf.
 
Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability
Marie Bochet (France) Skiing; Marcel Hug (Switzerland) Wheelchair Racing; Tatyana McFadden (US) Wheelchair Racing; Sophie Pascoe (NZ) Swimming; Sarah Louise Rung (Norway) Swimming; Olga Sviderska (Ukraine) Swimming.
 
Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year
Jamie Bestwick (UK) BMX; Bob Burnquist (Brazil) Skateboarding; Mick Fanning (Australia) Surfing; John John Florence (US) Surfing; Maya Gabeira (Brazil) Surfing; Shaun White (US) Snowboarding.
 
For further information please contact:
Virginie Bernon
International Senior Media & PR Manager
Tel: +44 (0) 207 514 2841    
Photo Archive: www.laureusarchive.com
Website: www.laureus.com
Follow us on Twitter @LaureusSport
 
 
NOTES TO EDITORS
The first Patron of Laureus was Nelson Mandela.  At the inaugural Laureus World Sports Awards in 2000, he said: “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. Sport can awaken hope where once there was only despair.” This has become the philosophy of Laureus; the driving force behind its work.
 
Laureus is a universal movement that celebrates the power of sport to bring people together as a force for good.  Laureus is composed of three core elements - the Laureus World Sports Academy, the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation and the Laureus World Sports Awards - which collectively celebrate sporting excellence and use sport as the means to promote social change.
 
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 46 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, the living legends of sport honouring the great athletes of today.  The Awards are presented at an annual Awards Ceremony, attended by global figures from sport and entertainment, which is broadcast to 120 countries and territories.  
 
The Laureus Academy Members volunteer their services as global ambassadors for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, which was set up to promote the use of sport as a tool for social change. The Foundation addresses social challenges through a worldwide programme of sports related community development initiatives. Since its inception, Laureus has raised over €60 million for projects which have helped to improve the lives of more than one-and-a-half million young people.
 
The mission of the Laureus Foundation is to use sport as the means to combat some of the world’s toughest social challenges facing young people today such as juvenile crime, gangs, HIV/AIDS, discrimination, social exclusion, landmines awareness and health problems like obesity. The Academy is supported in its work by the members of the Laureus Ambassadors programme, a select group of current and retired sportsmen and sportswomen who have achieved sporting greatness, plus non-sporting personalities who have made significant contributions to the sporting community during their careers. 
 
The members of the Laureus World Sports Academy are: Giacomo Agostini, Marcus Allen, Franz Beckenbauer, Boris Becker, Ian Botham, Sergey Bubka, Bobby Charlton, Sebastian Coe, Nadia Comaneci, Yaping Deng, Marcel Desailly, Kapil Dev, Mick Doohan, David Douillet, Emerson Fittipaldi, Sean Fitzpatrick, Dawn Fraser, Cathy Freeman, Tanni Grey-Thompson, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Mika Häkkinen, Tony Hawk, Mike Horn, Miguel Indurain, Michael Johnson, Kip Keino, Franz Klammer, Dan Marino, Edwin Moses (Chairman), Nawal El Moutawakel, Robby Naish, Ilie Nastase, Martina Navratilova, Alexey Nemov, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Morné du Plessis, Hugo Porta, Steve Redgrave, Vivian Richards, Monica Seles, Mark Spitz, Daley Thompson, Alberto Tomba, Steve Waugh and Katarina Witt.
There is a two-part voting process to find the winners of the Laureus World Sports Awards.  Firstly, a Selection Panel of the world’s leading sports editors, writers and broadcasters from over 120 countries votes to create a shortlist of six Nominations in various categories, including Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year, Laureus World Team of the Year, Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year and Laureus World Comeback of the Year.  Then the members of the Laureus World Sports Academy vote by secret ballot to select the Award winners from the shortlist. The Laureus Academy Members also vote for the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disabilityand the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year, the Nominations for which are made by specialist panels.  
 
Laureus was founded by its Patrons Richemont and Daimler and is supported by its Global Partners Mercedes-Benz and IWC Schaffhausen.
 
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz, the world’s oldest automaker, can look back on a unique tradition. It is the most valuable automotive premium brand which stands for quality, safety, comfort, design and sustainable mobility. Mercedes-Benz enjoys an excellent reputation, particularly in the field of safety. Many pioneering technical innovations that are standard automotive features today were first seen in a Mercedes-Benz car. The Mercedes-Benz engineers will in the future consistently reinvent the automobile – with the same enthusiasm and innovation as Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz in 1886. Moreover, Mercedes-Benz has been actively supporting professional and amateur sport for decades and has become established as a dependable partner in the fields of motor sport, football, golf, horse riding and tennis.  Mercedes-Benz is a Global Partner of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. Since the beginning of the Foundation's operations in 2000, Mercedes-Benz has shared and supported the goals and values of this worldwide charity programme where sports play the core role in the fight against social issues - Laureus has become a vital element of the corporate social responsibility programme of Mercedes-Benz.
 
IWC Schaffhausen
With a clear focus on technology and development, the Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen has been producing watches of lasting value since 1868. The company has gained an international reputation based on a passion for innovative solutions and technical ingenuity. One of the world's leading brands in the luxury watch segment, IWC crafts masterpieces of haute horlogerie at its finest, combining engineering and precision with exclusive design. As a Global Partner since 2005 and as part of its corporate social responsibility, IWC is one of the driving forces behind the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. Since 2006, the Swiss watch manufacturer has launched several limited editions in honour and support of the Foundation. These watches are destined to be collector's items as each edition features an exclusive engraving on the back based on a drawing by one child involved in a Laureus project.
 
Malaysia
Malaysia is a country which offers a unique look into the rest of Asia as a bubbling, bustling melting-pot of races and religions where Malays, Indians, Chinese and many other ethnic groups live together in peace and harmony. Its multiculturalism has made Malaysia a gastronomical paradise and home to hundreds of colourful festivals. Malaysians are very relaxed, warm and friendly. Being ranked as the 10th most popular travel destination in the world by UNWTO and the 4th best shopping destination in the world by CNN, and 2014 being the Visit Malaysia Year, Malaysia definitely is the most suitable host for Laureus World Sports Awards 2014.
 
Yayasan Rakyat 1Malaysia
Yayasan Rakyat 1Malaysia (the “Foundation”) is a charitable foundation to benefit Malaysians from all walks of life in line with the principles of 1Malaysia.
The Foundation which was incorporated in January 2013 is geared towards engaging and helping Malaysians, particularly the less fortunate and those in need, and to equip them with building blocks to achieve a better quality of life. Towards this end, the Foundation focuses on three areas – Improving the quality of life of the less fortunate, Education and Sports.
 

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