Rafael “Rafa” Nadal Awarded The Marca

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 28th November 2013

Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Awarded The Marca

epa03966130 Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal (front) engraves his hands in a plaque next to Real Madrid former players (R-L second row) Fernando Hierro, Rafael Martin Vazquez, Emilio Butragueno, and Manolo Sanchis, after receiving the Marca sports newspaper award to the best sportsman of the year in Madrid, Spain, 26 November 2013. EPA/Paco Campos |

Just hours after returning to Spain from his exhibition tour of South America, world no.1 Rafael Nadal was awarded the title of his nation’s greatest athlete of all time at the sporting newspaper Marca’s silver anniversary gala in Madrid.

Nadal polled 25.6% of all votes cast by Marca readers, more than doubling the support for second placed Miguel Indurian (11.6%), the five times Tour de France winning cyclist. Pau Gasol, the Barcelona born basketball center who has spent 11 years in the NBA and Spain’s flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics in place of the injured Nadal, was third with 8.6%.

The poll was held to commemorate Marca’s 75 years of existence and Nadal said: “I would like to thank everyone behind me and all those who aren’t here tonight because as well as tennis, I’m mad about sport in general.

“I have had some unforgettable afternoons thanks to all those who have taken Spain to the highest level in sport. Thank you so much because that excitement is what makes sport feel different.”

Gasol, who was otherwise engaged scoring 17 points in the Lakers’ 116-111 defeat to the Washington Wizards at DC’s Verizon Center, sent a video message congratulating his countryman. “I want to send a special tribute to my friend Rafa for winning this 75th Anniversary Marca ‘Leyenda’ award,” he said. “Congratulations, enjoy it, you’re the best.”

Despite his grueling travel itinery, flying in from Buenos Aires where he had been on a two weeks long exhibition tour of South America with Novak Djokovic, Nadal was smartly attired in grey suit and blue tie.

Spanish tennis legends Manuel Santana was amongst the selected audience who applauded Nadal who was flanked by Spain’s long standing football manager Vincente del Bosque who led the nation to winning the World Cup for the first time in 2010 and the European Championships two years later.

Nadal later tweeted: “Thanks a lot to all readers of #Marca for this award, It is an honor!”

Now Andy Murray has been made favorite to win Britain’s most prestigious annual sporting award. The 2013 Wimbledon winner has been named in a short list of ten for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award with his main opposition coming from US Open golf champion Justin Rose, Americas Cup yachtsman Ben Ainslie and long dstance runner Mo Farah.

The BBC awards ceremony will be staged on December 15 at the First Direct Arena in Leeds and Murray must decide whether to end his training block in Miami early in order to attend.

Topics: 10sballs, Andy Murray, Atp, Madrid, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News, US Open