Laureus World Sports Awards 2015

SCHALK BURGER’S RETURN FROM INTENSIVE CARE TO SPRINGBOKS TEAM AFTER LIFE-THREATENING MENINGITIS MAKES HIM

CONTENDER FOR LAUREUS WORLD COMEBACK AWARD

·         ‘Schalk’s recovery is a great tribute to his fighting spirit,’ says Laureus Academy Member and rugby legend Sean Fitzpatrick

·         Courageous Italian star Francesco Acerbi beats cancer to return to football

·         World’s media to vote for SIX Nominees for Laureus Comeback Award

·         Laureus World Sports Awards to be held in Shanghai from April 13-15

LONDON, January 19, 2015 – Schalk Burger’s fightback from a life-threatening illnessto once again play a key role in the South African international rugby team is one of the most inspirational sporting stories of the year and makes him a strong contender for Nomination for the 2015 Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award.

One of the outstanding players in South African rugby, Schalk Burger fought through injuries and life-threatening meningitis to return to the Springboks team in 2014. He had a cyst next to his spinal chord and went into hospital for treatment, but developed bacterial meningitis and was moved to intensive care. He said: “There was a critical stage for nearly five days in which there was a lot of uncertainty. I was in isolation and I was seriously ill, so ill in fact that some people around me thought ‘this is it’.” His parents were called to the hospital to say ‘goodbye’.

He recovered and made a remarkable comeback, being picked for the Springboks squad to play against Australia and New Zealand in the Rugby Championship. Then he was named man of the match in the November victory over England at Twickenham, in which he scored the decisive third try. Doctors said the average person would never have made it back to top class competition, let alone be named man of the match in such a high pressure game.

Laureus World Sports Academy Member and All Blacks rugby legend Sean Fitzpatrick said: “The story of Schalk’s recovery is amazing. He not only survived such a serious illness, but in a relatively short time he was back in the Springboks team and winning matches for them. What a great tribute to his fighting spirit. All he needs now to complete this remarkable comeback is to have a wonderful World Cup later this year.”

Former Springboks captain Morné du Plessis, who was also manager of the 1995 World Cup winning team, said: “I have known Schalk and his family for many years and I know that there were very real concerns for his wellbeing during his illness. It really was a great relief for his family, friends and supporters  to just see him well again, not even to think at that stage that he would make a miraculous comeback and be back to his best on the rugby pitch. I am sure he will have his eye on making a big impact in the World Cup for the Springboks. Schalk is also a responsible and caring human being who has done a great deal to support the work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation in South Africa and he has been a wonderful Ambassador for Laureus.”

The names of the Nominees will be announced on February 11 after the vote by the Laureus Global Media Selection Panel, comprising leading sports editors, sports writers, broadcasters and online journalists from around the world. The eventual winner will then be chosen, from that shortlist, in a secret ballot by the 47 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy - the living legends of sport honouring the greatest athletes of today – and revealed at the Laureus World Sports Awards Ceremony in Shanghai on April 15.

After his move to AC Milan in 2012 and his first Italian cap, Francesco Acerbi was loaned to smaller Serie A clubs. The season ended with him being diagnosed with testicular cancer. He was out for almost a year. His career seemed over, but having won his battle against cancer he was signed by Sassuolo to play again in Serie A. After a couple of months the cancer reappeared, but he won his second battle against the illness and scored in his return to Serie A in Sassuolo’s 2-1 win over Parma. He was subsequently selected for the Italy squad in November for the games against Croatia and Albania.

Some of the other memorable comeback performances of the year include:

Following bad injuries and poor form, Argentina’s Diego Milito, the man who scored the two goals in Inter Milan’s Champions League final win over Bayern Munich in 2010, returned to Argentina in 2014 to play again for his first club Racing of Avellaneda. He inspired the team to the Argentine championship for the first time in 13 years and secured for them a place in the 2015 Copa Libertadores.

Britain’s Jo Pavey won the 10,000 metres at the 2014 European Championships in Zurich – her first ever international gold medal - ten months after giving birth to her second child. She became the oldest female European champion in history, at 40 years and 325 days. She also won a bronze medal in the 5,000 metres in the Commonwealth Games.

Pierre Vaultier of France made a memorable comeback to win the Winter Olympics gold medal at Snowboard Cross just two months after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament. It can take an athlete up to nine months to recover from that injury. Vaultier’s career has suffered badly because of injury. In December 2008 he suffered a lumbar fracture in training and missed most of the season.

Aged 34 and lying 792^nd in the world rankings, Britain’s Oliver Wilson was on the verge of giving up golf, just six years after playing for Europe in the Ryder Cup in 2008. However in October he was given a sponsors’ invitation to play in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews and, after 228 European Tour starts, finally won a tournament and received the US$800,000 first prize.

The Laureus World Sports Awards is the premier honours event in the international sporting calendar. Among the sporting greats who have previously been named as winners of Laureus World Sports Awards over the last 15 years have been Usain Bolt, Sebastian Coe, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Alex Ferguson, Lewis Hamilton, Kelly Holmes, Yao Ming, Rafael Nadal, Pelé, Steve Redgrave, Ronaldo, Michael Schumacher, Kelly Slater, Shaun White, Serena Williams, Liu Xiang and ZinedineZidane.

Guests who have attended previous Awards Ceremony in the past have included His Majesty King Juan Carlos of Spain, HSH Prince Albert of Monaco, David and Victoria Beckham, Benedict Cumberbatch, Sean Connery, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, Morgan Freeman, Teri Hatcher, Eva Longoria, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kevin Spacey.

Proceeds from the Laureus World Sports Awards directly benefit and underpin the work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, which supports more than 150 sports-based community projects in 34 countries around the world that have helped to improve the lives of millions of young people.

Members of the Laureus World Sports Academy and Laureus Ambassadors volunteer their time to act as global ambassadors for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, whose mission 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, education and health problems such as obesity. Since its inception Laureus has raised over €60 million to support projects around the world.

The globally televised Awards Ceremony, attended by many legends of sport past and present, will celebrate the achievements of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of the year. The Laureus World Sports Awards will be supported by Chinese textile and woolcompany HengYuanXiang Group (HYX), the Host Partner of the 2015 Laureus World Sports Awards, and will receive the strong support of the Shanghai Municipal Government,

Shanghai, one of China’s most iconic travel destinations and one of the most spectacular cities on Earth, is a perfect location for the 2015 Laureus World Sports Awards. A popular tourist destination renowned for its historical landmarks, such as The Bund, City God Temple and Yu Garden, as well as the dramatic Lujiazui skyline, it is a showcase for the booming economy of China. Shanghai mixes old world charm with a modern and vibrant city, perfectly blending the past and present. Shanghai annually hosts some of the biggest sports events in the world, including the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix and the IAAF Shanghai Diamond League meeting.

Enjoying a long-standing reputation in China, HYX is a leading forcein the textile and garment industry. In recent years HYX has evolved into a modern enterprise developing its own unique ‘brand and culture’, through brands like ‘HYX’, ‘Fazeya’ and ‘Nanonan’. For many years, HYX has actively focused on sport and been a partner in sports events like football, basketball, gymnastics and marathon. InDecember 2005, HYX became the first non-sports textile and costume sponsor in the history of the Olympics and three years laterbecame the first partner of the Chinese Olympic Committee, customizing the Olympic kit for Chinese athletes.

The ‘Eternal Love’ programme, co-founded by HYX and the China Children and Teenagers’ Foundation, has won the China Charity Award twice, being honoured as the No.1 activity for caring for orphaned and disabled children in China. Also, the ‘HYX Literature Star High School Students’ Writing Contest’ has become the most influential event of its kind, attracting the largest number of contestants. In 1997 and 2007 HYX supported the ‘10,000 Teenagers’ Recreational and Sports Activities’ event in Tiananmen Square, in Beijing,China, in the hope of promoting the health of teenagers. For a long time, HYX has been an active partner in sports events like football, basketball, gymnastics and marathon.

For further information please contact:

Virginie Bernon

International Senior Media & PR Manager

Tel: +44 (0) 207 514 2841    

E mail: publicrelations@laureus.com

Website: www.laureus.com

Follow us on Twitter @LaureusSport

NOTES TO EDITORS

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 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 create hope where once there was only despair.” This has become the philosophy of Laureus; the driving force behind its work.

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, Rahul Dravid, 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.

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 millions of 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 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 47 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 180 countries and territories.  

There is a two-part voting process to find the winners of the Laureus World Sports Awards.  Firstly, a Global Selection Panel of the world’s leading sports editors, print and online writers and broadcasters from over 100 countries are invited to vote to create a shortlist of six Nominations in six categories – Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year, Laureus World Team of the Year, Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year, Laureus World Comeback of the Year and Laureus Action Sportsperson of the Year. Nominations for the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability come from a specialist panel. The members of the Laureus World Sports Academy then vote by secret ballot to select the Award winners from these shortlists. The Academy Members may also present additional Awards at their discretion. The voting process is monitored by independent auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. 

Proceeds from the Laureus World Sports Awards directly benefit and underpin the work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation which supports over 150 community sports projects around the world.  The 2015 Laureus World Sports Awards will be held in Shanghai on April 15.

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 is the inventor of the automobile – and has been passionately shaping its future since 1886. As pioneers in automotive engineering, it is both our inspiration and responsibility to continue the tradition of the brand with trailblazing technologies and high-quality products. Like no other trademark in the automotive world, Mercedes-Benz appeals to both the hearts and minds of its customers. We give our very best for customers who expect the very best.  Since the founding fathers Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, our corporate history has been one of innovation and pioneering achievements. Many technical innovations that are nowadays standard in automobiles first entered the market in a Mercedes-Benz. This is the basis for our claim to leadership in automotive engineering. The brand stands for Modern Luxury, and enjoys an outstanding reputation for quality, safety, comfort, design and comprehensive, sustainable mobility. 

IWC Schaffhausen

With a clear focus on technology and development, the Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen has been producing timepieces 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 their finest, combining supreme precision with exclusive design. As an ecologically and socially responsible company, IWC is committed to sustainable production, supports institutions around the globe in their work with children and young people and maintains partnerships with organisations dedicated to climate and environmental protection.

Shanghai

Shanghai is called in Chinese “Hu” for short. In the 16th century (or the middle period of the Ming Dynasty), Shanghai had become the national center of textile and handicraft industry. In 1685, the central government of the Qing Dynasty set up its customs office in Shanghai. In the mid-19th century, the city evolved into a major trading port. Shanghai has undergone a historic transformation since 1949. In the past more than 60 years, the city has seen marked progress in its economic and social development. Particularly, since the Chinese government adopted the reform and opening policy in 1978, Shanghai has made outstanding achievements in building itself into a megalopolis. Entering the 21st Century, Shanghai persisted on its innovation-driven development and economic restructuring and upgrading. The city is opening up a new prospect to turn itself into one of the world’s economic, financial,trade and shipping centers and a modern international metropolis.

HengYuanXiang Group

HYX Group is a leading enterprise in the global textile field with annual retail sale of nearly six billion yuan. Founded in 1927, HYX was known as ‘King of Wool’ and created many world records, including global super-fine wool and the thickest knitting needle in the world. After China launched its market economy, HYX took the lead in promoting the business pattern of brand franchise strategic alliances, featuring brands such as ‘HYX’, ‘Fazeya’ and ‘Nanonan’. Fazeya is a sub-brand of HYX and the official gift presented during the press conference for the launch of the 2015 Shanghai Laureus World Sports Awards displayed the logo of the brand. Fazeya, a coloured sheep in the picture, was also the design on the stamp for 2003, the Chinese Year of the Sheep. Nanonan is another sub-brand and its ‘Nanonan’ products are focused on infants and children up to the age of 14. Devoted to art, culture and charity events, Nanonan has built up the Haoxiaonan Children’s Chorus, Haoxiaonan All-powerful Hands Club, Haoxiaonan Children’s Peking Opera Troupe and Haoxiaonan Kindergartenin Shanghai.