Sports awards ceremony that bring together sports men of different sporting disciplines are very rare in the world of sports today.
But the Laureus sports awards is one of the few exceptions.The next edition of this awards ceremony has been scheduled for the 18th of February. For the category of the best male Athlete’s, six Kings of separate kingdom’s have been nominated ; Kylian Mbappe of France and PSG, Luka Modric of Croatia and Real, LeBron James of the U.S and the L.A Lakers, Lewis Hamilton of Great Britian and Mercedes, Novak Djokovic the Serb, and Eliud Kipchoge, the Kenyan Marathon master.
All these worriors have been dominant in their separate domains, but this award takes out the very best from the super good athlete’s. The initiative was brought up in the early 2000s but no footballer has ever gone ahead to win it, despite L.Messi and C.Ronaldo being nominated severally-the balance sheet speaks in favour of the men with rackets; Tennis 9 winners, Athletics 4 winners, Formula 1, 3 winners, Golf 2 winners. The remainder of the
sporting disciplines follow with 0, football inclusive.
A panel of renounced football writers, editor’s and reporters vote for the best male athlete, and looking from the 6 man shortlist it is really going to be a tight one.
LeBron James is arguably one of the best, if not the basketballers in his generation, and some believe he has cut the myth Michael Jordan held in the game for a long while. “King James” had one of those seasons in 2018 again, working his magic with Cleveland Cavs though he lost the finals, he earned the respect of many after he sent records tumbling especially in his 51 point effort in game 1 of the Nba finals.
Luka Modric has won every single personal accolade football can offer this 2018. The Croatian captained his country to a maiden world cup final and contributed a great deal to that spiritual Real Madrid team that grabbed the Champions league for the third time in a row.
Kylian Mbappe surfaced and reminded people that age is just a number, as the teenager won the world cup, and other ‘petite’ accolades to go with.
Novak Djokovic is back, and he has settled his injury and coaching squabbles in some style. He is world number 1 according to the ATP ranking, and went ahead to win the Wimbledon and U.S Open, beating South Africa’s Kevin Anderson and Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro in the process.
Lewis Hamilton was officially Formula 1’s world champion for 2018 as he picked up the Drivers’ Championship trophy for the fifth time at the FIA’s awards gala.
As for Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge, he has underlined his status as the world’s most dominant when it comes to resistance. The Marathon world record holder was this 2018, named by the IAAF, as male athlete of the year. Let the games begin!.
Giovanni Wanneh.
