Laureus Awards to set tone for sporting carnival in KL
Press Trust of India Kuala Lumpur The bustling city awaited in anticipation and the air was buzzing with excitement as the creme de la creme of the sporting world started to touch down in batches for the 15th Laureus International Sports Awards to be held here on Wednesday and attended by, among others, Indian cricket legend Kapil Dev.
Adding to the buzz is the Malaysian Grand Prix, to be held over the weekend and which will coincide with the Eurasia Cup, making it a carnival like atmosphere.
One of the brand ambassadors for what is the equivalent of Oscars in sports, the 55-year-old Indian World Cup winning captain has confirmed his participation alongside a plethora of legends such as Sebastian Coe, Johan Cruyff and Bobby Charlton - names that need no introduction in their respective sports.
Laureus Sport For Good Foundation, whose mission is to use sport as the means to combat some of the world's toughest social challenges faced by young people today and which organises the event annually, is also set to grace 2013's top performers like Sebastian Vettel, Christiano Ronaldo, Usain Bolt, Serena Williams and Yelena Isinbayeva to name a few.
American teenager Missy Franklin, the first woman swimmer in history to win six gold medals at a single World Championships, at the age of just 18, is the latest global sports star to confirm attendance for the premier event.