About Laureus
Laureus is a global organisation that celebrates sporting excellence and uses the power of sport to transform the lives of children and young people.
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. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than governments in breaking down racial barriers.”
From that day, President Mandela’s powerful vision has become the philosophy of Laureus and the driving force behind its work.
Laureus Sport for Good
Laureus Sport for Good was inspired by the words of its Founding Patron, Nelson Mandela, who said at the first ever Laureus Awards in 2000, “Sport has the power to change the world.”
Laureus Sport for Good uses sport to reduce the impact of violence, conflict and discrimination, to enhance social and emotional development, to inspire healthy behaviour change and to increase educational achievements and employability skills.
Laureus Sport for Good has seen millions of young people come through its programmes and currently supports more than 275 programmes in over 50 countries that use the power of sport to transform lives.
The work of Laureus Sport for Good aims to address six key social issues that are affecting young people across the world:
A global leader in the sport for development sector, Laureus Sport for Good carries the endorsement and support of the Laureus World Sports Academy and Ambassadors, all role models and icons of sport, who volunteer their time to this important cause.
Laureus World Sports Awards
The Laureus World Sports Awards is the premier global sporting awards. First held in 2000, the annual event honours the greatest and most inspirational sporting triumphs of the year and showcases the work of Laureus Sport for Good.
Shortlists for six categories (Sportswoman, Sportsman, Team, Breakthrough, Comeback and Action) are created by votes from more than 1,400 sports media from over 100 countries. The shortlist for the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability is provided by the International Paralympic Committee.
The Laureus World Sports Academy (a unique group of sporting legends) votes for the winners in each shortlisted category and The Academy also has the ability to grant discretionary awards, such as the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award.
A global public vote determines the winner of the Laureus Sporting Moment of the Year award, which honours one inspiring story that encapsulates the power of sport inspire and bring people together.
Broadcast around the world, the Awards Ceremony also provides a global platform for supporting Laureus Sport for Good, by showcasing the incredible work done to transform young lives around the world. Each year, one programme is recognised for its outstanding work, through the Laureus Sport for Good Award.
Laureus World Sports Academy & Ambassadors
The Laureus World Sports Academy is a unique group of sporting legends, each of whom reached the very highest level of achievement and collectively created many of sports most iconic moments.
Each year, under the chairmanship of former All Blacks captain Sean Fitzpatrick, the Academy members come together to perform the vital role of voting for the winners of the Laureus Awards, and this endorsement from an iconic group of sporting legends helps to make the Awards the most prestigious in global sport.
Academy members all share a belief in the power of sport to transform the lives of young people around the world, volunteering their time to support the work of Laureus Sport for Good. Throughout the year, many Academy members visit Sport for Good programmes, helping to engage and inspire the young people taking part.
Laureus is also privileged to be supported by the Laureus Ambassadors, a group of over 200 current or recently retired sporting men and women who have achieved sporting greatness or made significant contributions to the sporting community. Ambassadors support the work of the Academy and of our Foundations around the world by giving their time to support programmes on the ground.
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