Capital to host this year's edition of Laureus global prize for athletes

Some of the world's biggest sporting stars will swing into the capital next month as the Emirates Palace hotel hosts the 2010 Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony.

ABU DHABI // Some of the world's biggest sporting stars will swing into the capital on March 10, as the Emirates Palace hotel hosts the 2010 Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony. Entering its second decade, the Laureus showpiece - which was not held last year in consideration of the global financial crisis, although winners were still crowned - is widely recognised as the premier honour on the international sporting calendar.

"This is an important step for Laureus to move our ceremony to a new part of the world, and a wonderful way to start the second decade of our existence," said the Laureus chairman, Edwin Moses, a double Olympic gold medallist who won 122 consecutive 400-metre hurdles races. "The Gulf region has grown dramatically in sporting significance in the last decade, and Abu Dhabi is one of the world's most fascinating and attractive cities."

Previous winners of the Laureus Sportsman and Sportswomen of the Year awards include the golfer Tiger Woods, the tennis player Serena Williams, the seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, the Swedish golfer Annika Sorenstam, the Formula One legend Michael Schumacher and the tennis player Roger Federer, a four-time recipient. Last year's awardees were the Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt and Yelena Isinbayeva, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in pole vaulting.

"Sport is close to the hearts of all our people," said Khadem al Qubaisi, the chairman of Aabar Investments, the awards' host partner. "Abu Dhabi is an ideal venue for sports events of global significance." The winners were shortlisted by a global panel of 120 sports editors, writers and broadcasters - including two staff members from The National. A 46-member Laureus World Sports Academy jury featuring famous athletes will vote for the winners.