Tuesday, 08 February 2011 17:18
Laureus Award for founder of Beirut Marathon
ABU DHABI, February 7, 2011 – The Laureus World Sports Academy has honoured a remarkable woman who is using sport to bring reconciliation to one of the most divided and war-torn cities on Earth. May El-Khalil was a popular recipient of the Laureus Sport for Good Award in Abu Dhabi which celebrated her work in creating the Beirut Marathon which has become an inspiration to the whole of Lebanon and has brought people together from opposing political and religious communities.
The presentation was made by Hollywood film star Morgan Freeman. After an emotional introduction, May El-Khalil received the Laureus Award, and said: “First of all I would like to thank sincerely the Laureus Members for this wonderful evening. I would like to thank the sponsors for their beautiful contributions and support to the achievers, to the young achievers and to the dreamers as well.
"I would like to thank, as well, Lebanon and the Lebanese who believed in my mission. Back in 2003 my country, Lebanon, had just emerged from a civil war. There was nothing civil about it. I decided to be part of the nation-rebuilding process. I wanted to pay back to my community and I wanted to help through the power of sports. I believed in running, and I felt that running would definitely help in rebuilding a divided society. Despite all the conflicts that had been going on through all the years, wars, assassinations, political instability, the Marathon kept on going.
"30,000 people gather every year at the startline of the BLOM Beirut Marathon and they all run for love. They run for the love of their country, they run for unity and they run for charity. Most importantly, they run for peace. This is the mission of sport, and this is what the Marathon has been all about. We have been running for peace, and we will continue running for peace in the Middle East."
The story of May El-Khalil is an inspiration for those who believe in the power of sport. She was in hospital in Beirut in 2001 after a near fatal road accident wondering when or if she would be able to walk again, when the idea came to her that she should create a marathon in the heart of a city that had endured so much. Beirut at that time had suffered considerably as different communities and religious factions fought each other and powerful neighbouring states were using it as a battleground.
Once recovered and out of hospital, following more than 20 operations, as President of the Beirut Marathon Association, in 2003 she launched the first Beirut Marathon, which attracted 6,000 runners and hundreds of volunteers, of a variety of ages, backgrounds and cultures, all forgetting their differences and working together to create a sporting event which made a massive social statement on behalf of the people of Lebanon.
Since then the race has seen tremendous growth, regularly attracting more than 20,000 participants, and it has proved a powerful unifying factor in the country. Despite the most challenging atmosphere, May El-Khalil’s apolitical stance and her reliance on sport as a means to build bridges between divergent and hostile communities has resulted in near universal support for the event. It has become a turning point in the history of political reconciliation in Lebanon; a triumph of the spirit and an example of sport rising above a hostile political environment.
The Laureus World Sports Awards, which recognise sporting achievement, are the premier honours on the international sporting calendar. The winners, as voted by the Laureus World Sports Academy, the ultimate sports jury, made up of 46 of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of all time, were announced at a televised Awards Ceremony staged at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi hosted by double Oscar winner Kevin Spacey and attended by guests from the worlds of sport and entertainment.
At the Awards Ceremony it was also announced that Australian five-times motor cycle 500cc world champion Mick Doohan and five-times Olympic rowing gold medallist Steve Redgrave have been elected to the Laureus World Sports Academy.
The Laureus World Sports Awards was staged in Abu Dhabi thanks to the generous support of Aabar Investments PJS, Host Partner for the event. His Excellency Khadem Al Qubaisi, Chairman of Aabar, said: "Aabar is delighted to bring the Laureus World Sports Awards to Abu Dhabi once again. It is a great event and we hope that many of the world's leading sportsmen and women have enjoyed experiencing our Abu Dhabi hospitality. On behalf of Aabar, I would like to congratulate all the winners and wish every nominee continued sporting success in 2011."
Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, offers a fascinating combination of the old and the new; a blend of Arabic hospitality and mystique where a mixture of culture and tradition come together against a backdrop of the most modern world-class infrastructure. Abu Dhabi is developing a reputation as a great sporting venue as host city for the FIFA Club World Cup, the Etihad Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix and the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, all highlights of the sporting calendar in the city.
Aabar Investments PJS is an investment company headquartered in Abu Dhabi. It invests in various sectors including aerospace, real estate, automotive and financial services. Its largest stakeholder is the International Petroleum Investment Company, which is wholly owned by the Government of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
Proceeds from the Laureus World Sports Awards directly benefit and underpin the work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation which supports 83 community sports projects around the world. Since its inception, Laureus has raised over €40 million for projects which have helped to improve the lives of more than one-and-a-half-million young people.
The Awards were announced in seven categories. The winners were:
Laureus World Sportsman of the Year: Rafael Nadal
Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year: Lindsey Vonn
Laureus World Team of the Year: Spain World Cup Team
Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year: Martin Kaymer
Laureus World Comeback of the Year: Valentino Rossi
Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability: Verena Bentele
Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year: Kelly Slater
There were three additional Awards: The Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to football legend Zinedine Zidane, the Laureus Spirit of Sport Award was presented to the European Ryder Cup Team, while May El-Khalil, founder of the Beirut Marathon, won the Laureus Sport for Good Award.
For full biographies of the winners go to www.laureus.com/Awards/2011/winners
For biographies of all the Nominees go to www.laureus.com/Awards/2011/Nominees
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