For Immediate Release June 15, 2009
Nelson Mandela to Be Honored with the
Arthur Ashe Courage Award at The 2009 ESPYs
The 2009 ESPYs Co-Presented by Under Armour and Land Rover to Be Televised Sunday, July 19 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN HD.
The 1995 Rugby World Cup was hosted in South Africa for the first time. Following the victory of the host national team, The Springboks, and in a pivotal moment for South Africa, President Nelson Mandela, wearing a Springbok rugby shirt and cap, presented the William Webb Ellis Cup to South African captain Francois Pienaar to the delight of black and white sports fans across the country. This iconic gesture helped to unite a previously divided nation through a shared passion for sport, and further cemented the transition from apartheid to democracy.
Accepted on his behalf by his daughter Zindzi Mandela and grandson Zondwa Mandela, President Mandela will receive the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at The 2009 ESPYs co-presented by Under Armour and Land Rover. Presented annually to individuals whose contributions transcend sports, the Ashe Award is the emotional pinnacle of the industry-wide sports celebration, which is being taped on Wednesday, July 15 from the Nokia Theatre at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles and televised Sunday, July 19 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN HD. The 2009 ESPYs will be hosted this year by Samuel L. Jackson.
The Arthur Ashe Courage Award coincides with Mandela Day, which will fall on July 18th, Nelson Mandela’s birthday. Mandela Day will act as a global call to action for people to recognize their individual power to make an imprint and help change the world around them for the better. The Nelson Mandela Foundation and 46664 are calling upon people around the world to commit 67 minutes (Nelson Mandela has been making an imprint on the world for 67 years) of their time to make an imprint and help change the world around them.
President Mandela said, “We are honored to be awarded by the institute representing the work and life of our fellow humanitarian Arthur Ashe. We accept the award on behalf of all the people in South Africa and indeed across the globe who have dedicated their lives and efforts to the interests of others. Arthur Ashe is one such person and we are honored to be associated with this prestigious award.”
“We’re honored that President Mandela accepts The 2009 ESPYs’ Arthur Ashe Courage Award,” John Skipper, ESPN executive vice president added. “His action at the 1995 Rugby World Cup was an iconic moment in sports history. The image – of the previously divided nation, now united under South African colors – shows the importance of sport to society.”
ESPN Inc. will provide unprecedented multimedia coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa, June 11 — July 11, 2010. All 64 matches of the FIFA World Cup will be aired live and in high definition on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC. ESPN360.com will also feature all matches on the ESPN networks.
The Arthur Ashe Courage Award
The Arthur Ashe Courage Award is presented each year to individuals whose contributions transcend sports. In 2008, it was given to U.S. Olympians Tommie Smith and John Carlos who stunned the world after winning gold and bronze medals, by bowing their heads and raising their black-gloved fists toward the sky as the national anthem played. In 2007, it was given to Trevor Ringland and Dave Cullen for their work with PeacePlayers, an organization founded to bring enemies together through basketball.
Additional past recipients include: Jim Valvano (1993), Steve Palermo (1994), Howard Cosell (1995), Loretta Claiborne (1996), Muhammad Ali (1997), Dean Smith (1998), Billie Jean King (1999), Dave Sanders (2000), Olympian Cathy Freeman (2001), Todd Beamer, Mark Bingham, Tom Burnett and Jeremy Glick, four passengers who lost their lives September 11 on United Flight 93 (2002), Pat and Kevin Tillman (2003), Liberian-born soccer legend George Weah (2004), disabled athletes Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah and Jim MacLaren (2005) and Afghan female athletes (2006).
The ESPYs
The ESPYs gather top celebrities from sports and entertainment to commemorate the past year in sports by recognizing major sports achievements, reliving unforgettable moments and saluting the leading performers and performances. The 2009 ESPYs will recognize both sport-specific achievements, such as “Best MLB Player” and “Best WNBA Player,” and best-in-sport winners, such as “Best Team” or “Best Female Athlete” that pit nominees from different sports against each other. The ESPYs honor ESPN’s commitment to The V Foundation for Cancer Research, a partnership launched with the late Jim Valvano at the inaugural ESPYs in 1993.
Fans will determine the winners in all categories (except the Arthur Ashe Courage Award and other special awards) by voting online at www.espys.tv starting June 25 through July 11.
* The show will be taped Wednesday, July 15 from the Nokia Theatre at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles
* For the second time in several years, a limited amount of ESPYs tickets are available for public purchase through www.ticketmaster.com.
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