Murray Is An Award Winner At Laureus Ceremony

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 12th March 2013

Murray Is An Award Winner At Laureus Ceremony

epa03618439 Andy Murray of Great Britain hits a return against Evgeny Donskoy of Russia during their match BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells, California, USA, 10 March 2013. EPA/JOHN G. MABANGLO |

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Sporting awards and their requisite ceremonies around the globe are so numerous there is probably not a diary big enough for the world’s leading competitors to note all their invites. But the Laureus Sports Awards are universally regarded as the Sporting Oscars and although Andy Murray was otherwise engaged with everyday business at Indian Wells’ BNP Paribas Open, the Scot was still honoured to receive Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award

Murray’s first Grand Slam victory, at the US Open, plus an Olympic gold and silver medal in the singles and mixed doubles in London, made him a popular if absent winner at the awards ceremony staged in Rio de Janeiro’s Theatro Municipal and hosted by Hollywood stars Morgan Freeman and Eva Longoria.

The 25 year old world no.3 said: “It was an amazing year. My first Grand Slam in New York and two medals at the Olympics in my home country. I would have taken that at the start of the year, that’s for sure. The British team had such a great Olympics and I watched loads of medals being won by the British athletes.

“I think I was motivated by that. The support the whole British team received during the Olympics was incredible. To all who voted for me, thank you. Winning an Award like this will definitely make me more determined to come back and do better next year.”

Martina Navratilova, Boris Becker and Illie Nastase, all members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, attended the ceremony along with Spain’s greatest female tennis player, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario.

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 around the world, including three in Rio de Janeiro. Since its inception, Laureus has raised €60 million for projects which have improved the lives of more than one-and-a-half million young people.

Tennis has an illustrious history at the Laureus Sports Awards with Roger Federer a repeated winner of the Sportsman of the Year Award and Rafael Nadal has also been bestowed the honor.

Justine Henin and Serena Williams former winners of the Sportswoman title. Last year Novak Djokovic won the main award, which this time went to Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt. Amelie Mauresmo was the last tennis player to win the Breakthrough Award in 2007.