Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year 2022 Award: India's Olympic gold medal-winning javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has been nominated for the prestigious Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year award.

Key Highlights:

• He is the third Indian athlete to be nominated for Laureus World Sports Awards.
• The other two are wrestler Vinesh Phogat in 2019 and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, who had won the Laureus Sporting Moment 2000-2020 Award.
• He is one of the six nominees for the award.
• The other nominees include Spanish footballer Pedri, Russian tennis star Daniil Medvedev, British tennis player Emma Raducanu, Australian Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus and Venezuelan athlete Yulimar Rojas.
• The 23-year-old Chopra, who became only the second Indian to win an individual Olympic gold medal in the javelin throw with a throw of 87.58 in the final at Tokyo Olympics 2020.
• The first-ever Indian to win individual gold at the Olympics was Abhinav Bindra in air rifle in 2008.
• Chopra is currently ranked second in the world and will defend both the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games titles in a busy 2022.
• He will also chase a maiden World Championships medal later in the year.

About Laureus World Sports Awards:

• The Laureus World Sports Awards was established in 1999 by Laureus Sport for Good Foundation founders Daimler and Richemont.
• The name "Laureus" is derived from the Greek word for laurel, which is considered as a traditional symbol of victory in athletics.
• It is an annual award ceremony that honours individuals and teams from the world of sports.
• The first-ever Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony was conducted on May 25, 2000 in Monte Carlo.
• The Laureus World Sports Awards comprise the following six categories:
  1. Laureus World Sportsman of the Year
  2. Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year
  3. Laureus World Team of the Year
  4. Laureus World Comeback of the Year
  5. Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year
  6. Laureus Action Sportsperson of the Year

The winners in each of the six categories are decided by a panel comprising of leading sports journalists and broadcasters from around the world.

Note:

• This year's awardees will be decided by over 1300 panelists.
• The names of the winners will be revealed in April after a vote by the Laureus World Sports Academy, which is the world's ultimate sports jury that is made up of 71 of the world's greatest sporting legends of all times.

Additional info:

• Lionel Messi became the first footballer and first athlete from a team sport to win the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award in the 2020 ceremony.
• Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer with six wins has won the maximum Laureus World Sports Awards including 5 for Sportsman of the Year and one for Comeback of the Year.