Nelson Mandela's sporting vision lives on through Laureus

Nelson Mandela said that "sport has the power to change the world" at the inaugural Laureus World Sports Awards in Monaco in 2000.

Fifteen years later in Kuala Lumpur, the first Laureus Awards held since his death last December took on a special poignancy, but were as much about a celebration of his life as of the great work Laureus does to help young people around the world.

Calacus provided media relations and event management support throughout the week and we continue to be inspired by the power of sport to transform the lives of young people in challenging situations.

To see the faces of children given the chance to play football with Laureus Chairman Edwin Moses and Academy Members Nadia Comaneci and Mark Spitz – Olympic legends one and all – underlines why the work Laureus has been doing has been so important across the world.

Other events includes a rugby training session with Sean Fitzpatrick, a swimming with Malaysian youngsters joining Olympic star Missy Franklin and hordes of fans clambering to see skateboarder Tony Hawk show off his skills.

Perhaps the most demanding event during the week was the Laureus All Stars Unity Cup, where a host of football stars and local youngsters played a small-sided game at the Royal Selangor Club.

With the likes of Sir Bobby Charlton, Fabio Capello, Johann Cruyff, Ruud Gullit, Michel Salgado, Michael Laudrup and Gaizka Mendieta attending, it was no surprise that media from around the world descended en masse.

The Calacus team are highly experienced when it comes to managing the demands of media, ensuring speakers are well briefed and that the right messages are communicated in subsequent coverage.

A host of sports stars old and new attended the Awards, with Sebastian Vettel, Missy Franklin and Rafael Nadal among the individual winners with Bayern Munich winning Team of the Year but the real stars were the children.

Many of them are far too young to have seen many of the Laureus Academy and Ambassadors in action but the look on their faces during the various project visits suggests that the impact will live long in their memory.

To see our Pinterest Board with photos from the Awards in Kuala Lumpur, please click HERE 

To see the official video of the Laureus World Sports Awards, please click HERE 

To see the Laureus All Stars Unity Cup official video, please click HERE