{"id":1455,"date":"2025-04-27T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-27T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.phithuongbatphu.com\/?p=1455"},"modified":"2025-04-30T01:22:14","modified_gmt":"2025-04-30T01:22:14","slug":"laureus-awards-at-25-has-rupert-blown-the-whistle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.phithuongbatphu.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/27\/laureus-awards-at-25-has-rupert-blown-the-whistle\/","title":{"rendered":"Laureus awards at 25: Has Rupert blown the whistle?"},"content":{"rendered":"

What happens to a grand idea when its visionary steps away?<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the quiet question being asked around the 25th edition of the Laureus World Sports Awards \u2014 held this year in Madrid, Spain \u2014 an evening of glitz, legends and lofty ideals. <\/p>\n

But missing from the spotlight was the man without whom the Laureus project might never have come to life \u2014 the South African billionaire Johann Rupert.<\/p>\n

Rupert, who co-founded Laureus in 1999 through Richemont \u2014 the Swiss luxury goods company he chairs \u2014 was nowhere to be seen at this year\u2019s silver jubilee celebration. For an awards body frequently dubbed \u201cthe Oscars of sport\u201d, his absence was hard to miss. <\/p>\n

Whispers rippled through the VIP rooms and media pits: \u201cIs Rupert done with Laureus?\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no doubting the legacy of the awards.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe brainchild of Johann Rupert and the power of our founding patron Nelson Mandela, Laureus continues to impact communities around the world,\u201d said Laureus ambassador and All Blacks great Sean Fitzpatrick. <\/p>\n

That impact is measurable \u2014 over \u20ac150 million raised since inception, with 300 social programmes in more than 40 countries reaching close to six million young people. <\/p>\n

But legacies require ongoing investment \u2014 and not just financial. The question is whether Rupert, 74, still has the drive to carry the Laureus vision forward.<\/p>\n

In Madrid, the celebration was full of heartfelt moments. Olympic pole vault superstar Mondo Duplantis, who claimed the Sportsman of the Year award, kept it simple: \u201cSports are the shit,\u201d he said bluntly to the Mail & Guardian.<\/p>\n

But behind the swagger was sincerity: \u201cThere is nothing in the world that still has the power to unite the world like sport. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt mobilises the youth and helps so many to aspire to more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spanish tennis icon Rafael Nadal, this year\u2019s Laureus Sporting Icon, didn\u2019t hold back in crediting Rupert. <\/p>\n

\u201cThank you to Mr Rupert for having the inspiration to create something that has lived on for as long as it has \u2014 giving hope to so many people, especially those that did not have the opportunities that I, and so many others at these awards, have enjoyed.\u201d<\/p>\n

For many, Laureus\u2019 soul lives in its Sport for Good Foundation, not the red carpets or celebrity panels. <\/p>\n

Programmes in South Africa, Brazil, India and across Europe focus on conflict resolution, gender equality, education and health \u2014 using sport as a gateway to change. <\/p>\n

Laureus has often claimed 94% of its spending goes directly to grassroots initiatives, with only a fraction used for high-gloss ceremonies.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s precisely this glossy juxtaposition \u2014 Armani suits on one end, muddy soccer boots in a township on the other \u2014 that fuels debate about the awards\u2019 future. Is this the best way to fund social development through sport? Would the money spent flying celebrities to Madrid be better deployed elsewhere?<\/p>\n

\"Screenshot\"
Tennis legend Rafa Nadal.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Surfer legend Kelly Slater, a five-time Laureus recipient, tried to strike a balance. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of awards based on popularity among the public but what makes this so special and offers it continued relevance is the fact that it\u2019s the elite of the sporting world that decides you\u2019re worthy,\u201d he told the M&G.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all have a responsibility to spread sport and joy. I have 300 surfboards that I will eventually give away. Sport is such a simple thing to offer communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed, the awards remain unique in their format. Winners are chosen by the Laureus World Sports Academy, a panel of legendary athletes who carry both credibility and continuity. But institutional legacy alone can\u2019t guarantee survival. <\/p>\n

Much of the concern hinges on the future of Richemont\u2019s commitment. Since 2000, the company has bankrolled the awards, using its luxury clout to pull in partners like Mercedes-Benz and Nike. These relationships have been instrumental in making the Laureus brand synonymous with both prestige and purpose.<\/p>\n

But Johann Rupert\u2019s appetite for such public philanthropic spectacles is famously unpredictable. He is known to avoid the limelight and is deeply private \u2014 which makes his absence at the 25th anniversary potentially more than symbolic. <\/p>\n

Sources close to the organisation say there\u2019s no formal sign of withdrawal yet. But Laureus insiders admit privately that the path forward is uncertain without Rupert\u2019s personal buy-in.<\/p>\n

Is this a vanity project approaching its natural end? Or is it a global institution ready to evolve beyond the influence of its founder?<\/p>\n

A quarter-century in, that\u2019s the tension Laureus now must wrestle with. For every programme pulling kids off the streets through sport, there\u2019s a champagne toast in Madrid that raises questions about focus and sustainability. Yet the core belief \u2014 that sport can unify, uplift and inspire \u2014 remains powerful.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know if there is anything more impactful than sport in bringing us all together,\u201d Duplantis said. <\/p>\n

The hope is that the structures behind Laureus can do the same \u2014 even if its founder eventually fades from view.<\/p>\n

What happens when a legacy becomes a burden? Laureus may be about to find out.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What happens to a grand idea when its visionary steps […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1457,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1455","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-africa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.phithuongbatphu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1455","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.phithuongbatphu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.phithuongbatphu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.phithuongbatphu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.phithuongbatphu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1455"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.phithuongbatphu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1455\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1458,"href":"http:\/\/www.phithuongbatphu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1455\/revisions\/1458"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.phithuongbatphu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1457"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.phithuongbatphu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1455"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.phithuongbatphu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1455"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.phithuongbatphu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1455"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}