- Title: BRAZIL: SPORTS - Sports takes over in Rio ahead of Laureus World Sports Award
- Date: 9th March 2013
- Summary: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (MARCH 9, 2013) (REUTERS) GENERAL VIEW OF THE MARE FAVELA VARIOUS OF THE EXTERIOR OF THE NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANISATION (NGO) "FIGHT FOR PEACE" SEAN FITZPATRICK ARRIVING INTERIOR OF BOXING ACADEMY SIGN ON THE WALL WHICH READS "LAUREUS" SEAN FITZPATRICK WITH STUDENTS ALUMNI PREPARING TO BOX SEAN FITZPATRICK ATTENDING BOXING MATCH FITZPATRICK POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS WITH BOXING STUDENTS BOXERS FITZPATRICK LEARNING JUDO FITZPATRICK WATCHING CAPOEIRA FITZPATRICK SIGNING AUTOGRAPH (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER RUGBY UNION PLAYER, SEAN FITZPATRICK, SAYING: "It's about giving the children an opportunity and that, as I said to them in there, that's what we were given, we were given an opportunity through sport. As we say in Laureus, 'sport has the power to change the world and from what we can see here', it is definitely changing the world." VARIOUS OF FITZPATRICK PERFORMING THE HAKA GENERAL VIEW OF THE MARE FAVELA RODRIGO DE FREITAS LAKE STEVE REDGRAVE ARRIVING AT BOTAFOGO ROWING CLUB LOCAL ROWER REDGRAVE PREPARING TO ROW VARIOUS OF REDGRAVE ROWING (SOUNDBITE) (English) FIVE-TIMES OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALLIST, STEVE REDGRAVE, SAYING: "Everyone says that London was the best that there's ever been. I am going to be biased on that cause that's obviously where I am from and involved in the organizing committee. It's a very, very tough act to follow but I am sure Rio will do it their way and it'll be very, very special but in a very different way that London was special. And that is the advantage of the Games; it's about of not just putting on a sporting event of 28 different sports and all the different disciplines within that. It's about living the culture, it's about having seven years as a country building up to it, the excitement of the Games." REDGRAVE MEETING THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOTAFOGO ROWING CLUB, MAURICIO ASSUMPCAO
- Embargoed: 24th March 2013 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Brazil
- Country: Brazil
- Topics: Space,Sports
- Reuters ID: LVACGAC4WLLF2WEMYM30C8O93CTQ
- Story Text: Rugby legend Sean Fitzpatrick and five-times Olympic gold medallist Steve Redgrave arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Saturday (March 09) ahead of March 11's Laureus World Sports Awards.
Fitzpatrick - considered one of the best rugby players to have ever come out of New Zealand - visited a sports centre in the Mare favela, or shanty town, where he watched and met with local boxers and martial artists.
"It's about giving the children an opportunity and that, as I said to them in there, that's what we were given, we were given an opportunity through sport. As we say in Laureus, 'sport has the power to change the world and from what we can see here', it is definitely changing the world," he said.
Redgrave, who won gold medals in five consecutive Olympic Games from 1984 to 2000, visited the Botafogo rowing club and rowed on Rodrigo de Freitas lake with club members.
Redgrave said he was confident that Rio de Janeiro would be ready for the 2016 Olympics.
"Everyone says that London was the best that there's ever been," he said. "I am going to be biased on that cause that's obviously where I am from and involved in the organizing committee.
"It's a very, very tough act to follow but I am sure Rio will do it their way and it'll be very, very special but in a very different way that London was special. And that is the advantage of the Games, it's about of not just putting on a sporting event of 28 different sports and all the different disciplines within that. It's about living the culture, it's about having seven years as a country building up to it, the excitement of the Games."
Laureus World Sports Awards are given every year to athletes for their achievements over the past calendar year. There are seven categories - World Sportsman of the Year, World Sportswoman of the Year, World Team of the Year, World Breakthrough of the year, World Comeback of the Year, as well as World Action Sportsperson of the Year and World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability.
Among the nominees for World Sportsman of the year are Barcelona striker Lionel Messi, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, swimmer Michael Phelps, British runner Mo Farah, and Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel.
Tennis player Serena Williams is among those nominated for best Sportswoman of the year, alongside three other Americans, skier Lindsey Vonn, runner Allyson Felix and swimmer Missy Franklin, as well as British runner Jessica Ennis and Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.
Proceeds from the awards are used by the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, which is currently supported 140 community projects in various countries. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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