Poonam Mehra
Abu Dhabi, Feb 7 (PTI) Tennis ace Rafael Nadal''s remarkable run in the season gone by helped him pip star footballers Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta for the ''World Sportsman of the Year'' honour, while the World Cup winning Spanish football side walked away with the ''World Team of the Year'' trophy at the Laureus World Sports Awards here today.
The ''World Sportswoman of the Year'' award went to American alpine skiier Lindsey Vonn, who beat off competition from Belgian tennis ace Kim Clijsters, who won a second straight US Open and four other events last year, Serena Williams, and world number one tennis player Caroline Wozniacki among others.
Vonn had secured her third straight skiing World Cup
and the Olympic Downhill gold medal last year.
World number one Nadal -- who completed a career slam last year by clinching the US Open, French Open and the Wimbledon to go with his 2009 Australian Open triumph -- walked away with the top honours by pipping pre-awards favourites Messi and Iniesta.
It was Nadal''s second after the Laureus Breakthrough
Award in 2006.
"Thank you very much for this," said the star who received the trophy from German tennis legend Boris Becker.
The Spanish celebrations did not end at that as their World Cup winning football side clinched the ''Team of the Year'' honour ahead of Europe''s Ryder Cup-winning team and the Italian football club Inter Milan -- which had won the treble of Champions League, Serie A and Coppa Italia last year -- among others.
The Spanish team, however, could not make it to the awards ceremony because of training engagements for an international match.
French football legend Zinedine Zidane was presented the ''Lifetime Achievement'' award "in recognition of his remarkable career.
The ace midfielder walked in to a standing ovation from the gathering and received the trophy from legendary Moroccan athlete Nawal El Moutawakel and English football legend Sir Bobby Charlton.
"Thank you to all those who voted for me. I have to thank (former France teammate) Marseille Desailly for all that he did for me. Today is February 7 and it has been 20 years since I got married, it''s a special day for me," Zidane said in French, insisting speaking in English would be "too difficult" for him.
American Kelly Slater was presented with the ''Laureus Action Sports Award'' for the third time, after winning a record 10th World Surfing Championship.
http://in.news.yahoo.com/nadal-bags-laureus-world-sportsman-20110207-103000-902.html
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