Bobby Charlton's Team Wins The First Laureus Football Challenge

Give some of the greatest names in football free run of a perfect pitch, perfect weather, and a grandstand packed with appreciative supporters, and the end result is bound to be a glorious demonstration of all that is good in the game.

And that is exactly what happened when the Emirates Palace hosted the very first Laureus Football Challenge, presented by IWC Schaffhausen, played between an Emirates team managed by Manchester United legend Bobby Charlton and a Laureus Foundation team led by Bora Milutinovic, one of only two men to have coached five different teams in the World Cup.

It was seven-a-side, which meant the pace was fast and furious. And at first it was too fast for Charlton’s team who quickly went 4-0 down, but in a great comeback the Emirates managed to force a draw 11-11 at full-time.

There was a trophy at stake so it was ruled that the first team to score a ‘golden goal’ would decide the outcome, and Fernando Couto of Portugal made up for earlier putting through his own net by netting the winner in extra time.

The trophy was presented to Emirates captain Edgar Davids by Fabio Cannavaro, who led Italy to victory in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Edwin Moses, chairman of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, received a cheque for a total of E500,000 (EUROS) from Georges Kern, chief executive officer of IWC Schaffhausen, and a cheque for 2 million dirham was presented to Mohanna Al Muhairi, director of information and administration with the Emirates Foundation.

The funds raised came from the proceeds of the 2011 Laureus World Sports Awards, which are being staged with the generous support of the Global Partners Mercedes-Benz, IWC Schaffhausen and Vodafone - and Host Partner Aabar, who have been instrumental in bringing the Laureus Awards Ceremony to Abu Dhabi.

The donations included funds that were raised from the magnificent efforts of the footballers who earned money as they scored goals and made assists.

While his team celebrated their famous victory, Charlton said: "I think this has been a fantastic day. It was just magic. These footballers have travelled from thousands of miles to be here to help us, and they were delighted to be asked to be part of it.

"Footballers are sometimes much maligned. They’re accused of being greedy and self-satisfied. But it’s not always the case. There are so many of them who are just so happy to be able to do whatever they can to help us."

Patrick Vieira of Manchester City, owned by the Abu Dhabi United Group, flew from England straight after helping his club beat West Bromwich Albion 3-0 in the English Premier League on Saturday.

The French World Cup winner turned out for Bora’s Laureus team (Franz Beckenbauer had to make a late withdrawal from the coach’s bench) and said: "I’ve so enjoyed it. There were so many legendary football players here, many of them World Cup winners who helped me love the game when I was young.

"I enjoyed playing alongside my good friend Gianfranco Zola, and in the past I’ve played against Edgar Davids and it’s always nice to see him again. The whole day has been fantastic."

The Laureus World Sports Awards was later staged in Abu Dhabi thanks to the generous support of Aabar Investments PJS, Host Partner for the event.

His Excellency Khadem Al Qubaisi, Chairman of Aabar, said: "Aabar is delighted to bring the Laureus World Sports Awards to Abu Dhabi once again.

It is a great event and we hope that many of the world's leading sportsmen and women have enjoyed experiencing our Abu Dhabi hospitality. On behalf of Aabar, I would like to congratulate all the winners and wish every nominee continued sporting success in 2011."

Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, offers a fascinating combination of the old and the new; a blend of Arabic hospitality and mystique where a mixture of culture and tradition come together against a backdrop of the most modern world-class infrastructure.

Abu Dhabi is developing a reputation as a great sporting venue as host city for the FIFA Club World Cup, the Etihad Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix and the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, all highlights of the sporting calendar in the city.

Aabar Investments PJS is an investment company headquartered in Abu Dhabi. It invests in various sectors including aerospace, real estate, automotive and financial services. Its largest stakeholder is the International Petroleum Investment Company, which is wholly owned by the Government of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

Proceeds from the Laureus World Sports Awards directly benefit and underpin the work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation which supports 83 community sports projects around the world. Since its inception, Laureus has raised over 40 million for projects which have helped to improve the lives of more than one-and-a-half-million young people.

The Awards were announced in seven categories. The winners were:
Laureus World Sportsman of the Year: Rafael Nadal
Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year: Lindsey Vonn
Laureus World Team of the Year: Spain World Cup Team
Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year: Martin Kaymer
Laureus World Comeback of the Year: Valentino Rossi
Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability: Verena Bentele
Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year: Kelly Slater

There were three additional Awards: The Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to football legend Zinedine Zidane, the Laureus Spirit of Sport Award was presented to the European Ryder Cup Team, while May El-Khalil, founder of the Beirut Marathon, won the Laureus Sport for Good Award.