Neeraj Chopra nominated for Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year 2022 Award

Laureus World Sports Award 2022: India's Olympic Champion Neeraj Chopra has been nominated for the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award 2022. He is one of the six nominees for the award. The other nominees include Russian tennis star Daniil Medvedev, British tennis player Emma Raducanu, Spanish footballer Pedri, Australian Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus and Venezuelan athlete Yulimar Rojas.

Neeraj Chopra is the third Indian athlete to be nominated for Laureus World Sports Awards after wrestler Vinesh Phogat in 2019 and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, who had won the Laureus Sporting Moment 2000-2020 Award.

👏 Six incredible athletes who burst onto the scene in 2021, here are Nominees for the 2022 Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award:

🇮🇳 @Neeraj_chopra1
🎾 @DaniilMedwed
⚽️ @Pedri
🎾 @EmmaRaducanu
🇻🇪 @TeamRojas45
🏊‍♀️ #AriarneTitmus#Laureus22 pic.twitter.com/kfmU1qnAZg

— Laureus (@LaureusSport) February 2, 2022

Neeraj Chopra is the first-ever Indian athlete to win the Olympic gold medal in the javelin throw with a throw of 87.58 in the final at Tokyo Olympics 2020. 

Neeraj Chopra third Indian to be nominated for Laureus World Sports Awards

The 23-year-old Neeraj Chopra is one of the only two Indians to have won individual Olympic gold. The first-ever Indian to win individual gold at the Olympics was Abhinav Bindra in air rifle in 2008. Chopra won the gold in his Olympic debut at Tokyo. 

He has now become the third Indian athlete to have been nominated for the Laureus World Sports Award after Vinesh Phogat and Sachin Tendulkar. The cricket legend won the Laureus Sporting Moment Award 2000-2020, which marked the emotional moment during the 2011 ICC World Cup, when Tendulkar was carried by the team on their shoulders in a lap of honour after India's win.

He is only the third Indian athlete to be nominated for a Laureus Award, after wrestler Vinesh Phogat in 2019 and cricket maestro Sachin Tendulkar, who won the Laureus Sporting Moment Award 2000-2020.

— ANI (@ANI) February 2, 2022

Speaking on his nomination for the Laureus World Sports Awards, Neeraj Chopra said, "I'm delighted to be nominated for this Laureus Award and it's a great honour for me to be recognised in the wider sporting world for what I achieved in Tokyo. From being a kid in a small village in rural India who only took up the sport to get fit, to standing on top of an Olympic podium, it's been quite an eventful journey so far." 

He added saying, "I feel privileged to be able to represent my country and win India medals at the global stage, and now to have this recognition from Laureus and be considered alongside such exceptional athletes is a really special feeling." 

A special feeling to be nominated along with some exceptional athletes for the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year award.

Congratulations to @DaniilMedwed, @pedri, @EmmaRaducanu, @TeamRojas45 and Ariarne Titmus on their nominations. #Laureus22 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/16pUMmvQBE

— Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) February 2, 2022

Laureus World Sports Awards

The Laureus World Sports Awards is an annual award ceremony that honours individuals and teams from the world of sports. The awards were established in 1999 by Laureus Sport for Good Foundation founders Daimler and Richemont. The name "Laureus" is derived from the Greek word for laurel, which is considered as a traditional symbol of victory in athletics.

The first-ever Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony was conducted on May 25, 2000 in Monte Carlo. Late South African president Nelson Mandela had given the keynote speech at the inaugural event. 

The Laureus World Sports Awards comprise the following six categories:

Laureus World Sportsman of the Year

Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year

Laureus World Team of the Year

Laureus World Comeback of the Year

Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year

Laureus Action Sportsperson of the Year

The winners in each of the six categories are decided by a panel comprising of leading sports journalists and broadcasters from around the world. This year's awardees will be decided by over 1300 panelists. The names of the winners will be revealed in April after a vote by the Laureus World Sports Academy, which is the world's ultimate sports jury that is made up of 71 of the world's greatest sporting legends of all times.

Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer with six wins has won the maximum Laureus World Sports Awards including 5 for Sportsman of the Year and one for Comeback of the Year. 

Lionel Messi became the first footballer and first athlete from a team sport to win the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award in the 2020 ceremony.