Idea presents Sports Illustrated India's 'Sportsperson Of The Year awards 2011'

Company Brief

New Delhi, May 3, 2011

Cricketer and icon Yuvraj Singh, the Player of the Tournament at last year's cricket World Cup, will lead the list of awardees at Sports Illustrated India's third annual Sportsperson of the Year awards ceremony, to be held in Gurgaon, Haryana, on May 4.

This year's event, to honour performances through 2011, was originally slated for February, but was moved to May so that Yuvraj, who returned from the US where he was undergoing treatment for cancer last month, could accept the evening's top award, for Sportsperson of the Year, in person.

While Yuvraj highlights the awardees, the list also includes former India football captain Bhaichung Bhutia (Editor's Choice award for Excellence), Sports Minister Ajay Maken (Administrator of the Year), the Rajasthan Ranji Trophy-winning team led by Hrishishikesh Kanitkar (Team of the Year), young chess prodigy Karthikeyan Murali (Sportskid of the Year), London Olympics-headed boxer Vikas Krishan Yadav (Athlete of the Year, he was SI India's Young Player of the Year for 2010) and MAK Pataudi (posthumously) for Lifetime Achievement.

This is the third year of the India awards, which are inspired by the world's most prestigious sports awards, the Sportsman of the Year, established by Sports Illustrated in 1954.

Britain's Sir Roger Bannister, who ran the first official sub-four minute mile, was the first Sportsman of the Year, but it has largely been dominated by Americans, including Billie Jean King (Sportswoman of the Year 1972), Muhammad Ali (Sportsman of the Year 1974), Jack Nicklaus (1978), Michael Jordan (1991), Tiger Woods (1996, 2000), Lance Armstrong (2002) and Michael Phelps (2008).

The 14 categories and awardees this year are:

* Sportskid of the Year - Karthikeyan Murali (Chess)

* Young player of the Year - Deepika Kumari (Archery)

* Domestic performance of the Year - Jeje Lalpekhlua (Football)

* Surprise Package of the Year - The India Women's Recurve Team (Laishram Bombayla Devi, Chekrovolu Swuro, Deepika Kumari, Archery)

* Team of the Year - Rajasthan (Ranji Trophy, Cricket)

* Athlete of the Year - Vikas Krishan Yadav (Boxing)

* Coach (es) of the Year - GS Sandhu and BI Fernandez (boxing)

* Lifetime Achievement - MAK Pataudi (Cricket, posthumous)

* Outstanding Contribution to Sport - The Jaypee Group

* Administrator of the Year – Shri Ajay Maken

* Gamechanger of the Year - The Indian Premier League

* Sporting Moment of the Year - India winning the World Cup (Cricket)

* Editor's Choice award for Excellence - Bhaichung Bhutia (Football)

* Sportsperson of the Year - Yuvraj Singh (Cricket)

Powered by Oakley and in association with Puma, Indian Oil, Innovative Infra Developers and Turkish Airlines this year's awards also have The Pullman Gurgaon Central Park as the Hospitality Partner and Teacher's Origin is the beverage partner. Headlines Today is the Television media partner for the event.

For further information, please contact:

Communications Inc

Abhinav Sood

Ph : +919810605190

E-mail: abhinav.sood@communicationsinc.in