Three Asians, one African out of 42 show lack of diversity among Laureus awards nominees, says global sports consultant
- Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat never even heard of the awards when informed of her nomination
- Novak Djokovic, Lewis Hamilton, LeBron James and Simone Biles among nominees for the top prizes
Vinesh Phogat’s first thought when informed of her historic Laureus World Sports Awards nomination was one of bewilderment.
“Honestly, I still don’t know what this nomination is about,” the Indian wrestler said on Monday. “I just know that my name has been put for voting. I had not even heard of Laureus. And if no Indian athlete has been nominated before, I can only be proud of it.”
The Asian Games gold medallist’s ignorance about the honour goes to the heart of the problem – a lack of diversity, says Donna Furlong Stelling, a global adviser in sport and specialist in sports diplomacy.
“With 80 per cent of nominees for the Laureus World Sports Awards from North America and Europe, we need greater recognition and representation of inspiring athletes from around the world who are breaking barriers on and off the field,” said Stelling, an Australian based in Dubai.
The Laureus awards were launched in 2000 with the aim of “bridging the gaps in society and changing the way people look at the world”. However, it is clear there is still much work to do to fulfil this objective with Phogat, the first Indian to be nominated for a Laureus award (Comeback of the Year), one of three Asians among the 42 nominees. The other two are US Open tennis champion Naomi Osaka (Breakthrough of the Year) and figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu (Comeback of the Year), both from Japan.
Africa received one nomination through Kenyan marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge (Sportsman of the Year).
“Laureus has some work to do to elevate their own profile in Asia,” said Stelling. “There are amazing athletes across the Asian continent who are making a big impact in both sports and society from the Afghanistan women’s football team to the brave MeToo athletes from South Korea.
“The African continent has a growing number of inspirational athletes. Kgothatso Montjane made history last year by becoming the first African wheelchair tennis player from Africa to qualify for all four grand slams in a year. She also became the first black South African woman to compete at Wimbledon.”
Stelling also pointed to other stellar performances by Indian athletes over the past year, including the Commonwealth Games golden girls and cricket captain Virat Kohli – the ICC’s cricketer of the year for his phenomenal batting.
Athletes from China are among the best in the world, with world record holder swimmer Sun Yang winning four gold medals at the Asian Games, although the country’s world-class badminton and table tennis players are rarely given recognition on a global scale.
India’s Commonwealth Games golden girls
Stelling also likes to see more recognition for athletes involved in social programmes, praising the work of Australian women’s sevens rugby player Ellia Green, the first rugby player to become a UN Women Ambassador to promote women’s empowerment in the Pacific, and Tonga’s Olympic taekwondo exponent and skier Pita Taufatofua, a Unicef Pacific ambassador who became a star at the Rio Games in 2016 after showing off his six-pack abdomen during the opening ceremony.
“Whether athletes are winning awards, breaking records, or breaking barriers in society for gender quality, human rights and social change, sport should recognise the achievements that athletes are making in all corners of the world,” said Stelling.
“We also need greater support and recognition by various stakeholders, including governments, federations and sponsors to help our athletes throughout Asia.
“During the Asian Games, [Indian] President Modi also became the first president in history to congratulate each medal winning athlete which helped elevate the profile of Indian athletes around the world.
“The upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games also provides a unique opportunity to elevate the profile and awareness of our amazing athletes in Asia.”
Nominees for the Laureus sportsman of the year are Novak Djokovic (tennis), Lewis Hamilton (motor racing), LeBron James (basketball), Kipchoge (athletics), Kylian Mbappe (football) and Luka Modric (football), while the women’s nominees are Simone Biles (gymnastics), Simona Halep (tennis), Angelique Kerber (tennis), Ester Ledecka (skiing/snowboarding), Daniela Ryf (triathlon) and Mikaela Shiffrin (skiing).
