The sight of a group of kids enjoying some food in the sun, listening to music and playing a bit of basketball isn’t such an unusual sight.
But when you realise that the group consists of 100 kids from both Greek-Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities, playing together in the Cypriot Buffer Zone between the North and South of the island, you know you are witnessing something truly special.
This all took place at last weekend’s Peace Day Basketball Tournament organised by the fantastic Laureus-supported community sports project PeacePlayers International – Cyprus.
Kids from both Greek and Turkish communities in Cyprus played together in mixed teams
At the Berlin Marathon last weekend, Patrick Makau, the 26 year old Kenyan long distance runner, achieved two things most marathon runners can only dream of doing in an entire career.
Patrick Makau celebrates his new marathon world record
One of those things was beating the legendary athlete Haile Gebrselassie in a top flight marathon; the other was breaking Gebrselaisse’s own world record in doing so.
This was Makau’s second consecutive Berlin Marathon victory and sets a new world record time of 2 hours 3 minutes and 38 seconds, a full 21 seconds faster than Gebrselaisse’s previous world record.
Makau’s breakthrough to the very top flight of marathon racing this year is clear when you consider his previous best was over a minute slower than his Berlin performance at 2 hours 4 minutes and 48 seconds.
How do you think Makau’s achievement ranks with some of the other breakthrough sports stars this year? Are there any other’s that you think should be up for next year’s Breakthrough of the Year?
Let us know your suggestions in the box below and on Twitter @LaureusSport
BY MICHAEL LYNAGH
Laureus Ambassador and Australian vice-captain and World Cup winner in 1991
BY SEAN FITZPATRICK
Laureus Academy Member and legendary All Blacks captain
The list of great athletes vying for next year’s Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award is growing ever larger now that British road-cyclist Mark Cavendish has won the World Road Race last weekend.
Mark Cavendish wins the World Road Race
His victory follows earlier success at this year’s Tour de France where Cavendish won stages five, seven, 11, 15 and 21. This acheivement brought his total to 20 career Tour de France stage wins, and also made him the first person ever to win the final stage three years in succession.
Cavendish’s success in these competitions also makes him the first cyclist since Belgium’s Freddy Maertens, 30 years ago, to win both the World Road Race and the Tour de France green jersey in the same year.
The cyclist was nominated for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year last year. Do you think he has done enough to win this time round?
