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Nominees for 2006 Laureus World Sports Awards Named

The nominees for the 2006 Laureus World Sports Awards were made public this week, and among the players named were Spain?s Fernando Alonso, Rafael Nadal, and FC Barcelona`s Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi. The Laureus World Sports Awards is the only global sports awards honoring the greatest sportsmen and women across all sports each year.
The names of the winners will be announced during a televised Awards Ceremony staged at the Parc del F?rum, Barcelona, Spain, on the evening of May 22, 2006.

Fernando Alonso became the youngest driver at 24 years and 58 days to win the Formula One World Championship in 2005, winning seven-Grand Prix and ending Michael Schumacher?s dominance of the sport. Laureus Academy member Emerson Fittipaldi, who held the record as the youngest ever Formula One World Champion until Alonso?s triumph, said: ?He is an exceptional driver. My record was going to be broken one day and I am delighted that it is a real racer like Alonso who has done it."

The victory of Rafael Nadal in the French Open at the age of 19 made him an instant worldwide tennis star. En route to the final at Roland Garros, Nadal beat World No 1 Roger Federer in the semi-finals on his 19th birthday. He has been nominated for Laureus World Newcomer of the Year, as has FC Barcelona?s Lionel Messi, 18, who captained Argentina to victory in the FIFA Under-20 World Cup. FC Barcelona themselves have been nominated for Laureus World Team of the Year, while one of the other teams nominated in this category, with whom they will be competing, is English club Liverpool, winners of last year?s Champions League, who are coached by Spain?s Rafael Benitez.