The Laureus 2020 reward Messi and recognize the trajectory of the Spanish Basketball Federation

The Argentine soccer player of Barcelona, ​​Leo Messi, the English driver Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), the American gymnast Simone Biles and the South African rugby team were some of the great winners of the Laureus 2020 Awards, which were delivered this Monday in Berlin and left an honorary prize for the Spanish Basketball Federation for his male and female career during these last 20 years.

In the category of 'Best Male Athlete', neither the Catalan rider Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda), MotoGP world champion, nor the Balearic tennis player Rafa Nadal, winner in 2019 of Roland Garros, the US Open and the Davis Cup, could Conquer the precious statuette, which for the first time in the history of these awards was shared by Leo Messi and Lewis Hamilton, who received the same number of votes from the members of the Academy.

The '10' Blaugrana did not go to Berlin and asked for “forgiveness” through a video. “I was very excited to be able to be for what it means and I want to send this message to thank the Academy for giving me this recognition. It is a very important prize and I am especially honored to be the first to win it in a group sport,” The Argentine said.

For his part, Hamilton, who did attend the gala, recognized the “honor of being surrounded by so many stars and legends” and thanked Mercedes-Benz for giving “the opportunity” and Laureus “for changing the life of so many people around the world. “

“It is everyone's responsibility to use our platform to really push for gender equality, inclusion and make sure we are participating and trying to represent where the world is today,” added Stevenage, who in 2019 conquered his sixth F World Championship. -one.

The ÑBA was surpassed by the Springboks, but ended the Extraordinary Achievement

There was also no luck for the national sport in the category of 'Best International Team', where the Spanish men's basketball team, world champion last year, aspired to Laureus, but was defeated by the South African rugby team, world champion and who won his second Laureus after 2008. The 'Springboks' were also able to vote with Liverpool, Mercedes team, the US women's soccer team and Toronto Raptors.

But the Spanish sport did not leave empty of the German capital since the Laureus Academy granted him an honorary award, the Extraordinary Achievement Award, which has only been awarded four times and in recognition of his work with the selections of All categories and genres.

Elisa Aguilar, director of Competitions of the FEB, was in charge of thanking for receiving, from the Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser, “a special prize”. “Here there is a lot of passion, humility, hard work and the effort of all those who commit to make it possible and who work hard in the shade to get this award. This recognition is an honor because there are many people behind us who continue to Spanish basketball continues to grow, “he said.

The board was accompanied on stage by national coach Sergio Scariolo, former coach Pepu Hernández, and former players Carlos Jiménez, Amaya Valdemoro and Marta Fernández, and Pau Gasol also recorded a video of thanks for this “recognition of the hard work of all male and female teams. “

Simone Biles takes her third Laureus at age 22

In addition, the American gymnast Simone Biles repeated the award with respect to 2019 and won for the third time, also after 2017, the Laureus for the “ Best Female Athlete '' ahead of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the Americans Allyson Felix, Megan Rapinoe and Mikkaela Shiffrin and the Japanese Naomi Osaka. “It's great to have my third Laureus and I want to thank my family and my fans,” he said, in a live connection from his training place, the pentacampeona of the world last year.

The winner of the Tour de France, the Colombian Egan Bernal (INEOS), won the 'Revelation' award, while the 'Reappearance' went to the German pilot Sophia Flörsch, who reappeared last November at the Macau GP , precisely where a year before he suffered a serious accident in F3 that caused a spinal fracture.

The Ukrainian Oksana Masters won the award for 'Best Athlete with Disability' and the American 'rider' Chloe Kim for 'Best Sports Athlete'. In addition, the Indian cricket team won the award that awarded the 'Best Sports Moment' of these 20 years of history of the awards for the conquest of the 2011 World Cup, and former German basketball player Dirk Nowitzki received the Trajectory award Deportiva, which closed a gala that also had a memory of the figure of the late Kobe Bryant, honored with a minute of applause.

–LAUREUS 2020 AWARDS LIST

BEST MALE SPORTSMAN: Leo Messi and Lewis Hamilton.

BEST FEMALE SPORTSMAN: Simone Biles.

BEST TEAM: South African rugby team.

DISCLOSURE OF THE YEAR: Egan Bernal.

RECURRENCE OF THE YEAR: Sophia Flörsch.

BEST SPORTSMAN WITH DISABILITIES: Okasana Masters.

BEST ACTION SPORTSMAN: Chloe Kim.

EXTRAORDINARY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Spanish Basketball Federation.

BEST SPORTS MOMENT: Indian cricket team.

SPORTS TRAJECTORY: Dirk Nowitzki.