(Story by Marco Stoovelaar)
 Laureus World Sports Award for Chicago Cubs
Nederlands
 MONTE CARLO (Monaco) -
The Chicago Cubs have won the prestigious Laureus World Sports Award, which was handed out during an annual ceremony on Tuesday (February 14) in Monaco.
The Cubs won the Team of the Year Award for their successful and remarkable 2016 Major League-season in which the team won the World Series for the first time again in 108 years.
In the World Series, the Cubs won the best-of-seven Final 4-3 against the Cleveland Indians.
It marked the second time that a Laureus World Sports Award was handed out to someone in baseball.
In the category Team of the Year, the Award went to the following sports since 2000: football (soccer, 9), rugby union (3), formula one (2), cricket (1), golf (1) and an Olympic team (1).
The Laureus World Sports Awards are handed out annually during a special award ceremony honoring remarkable individuals from the world of sports for the greatest sporting achievement in a year.
The ceremony was established in 1999 by Laureus Sport for Good Foundation founding patrons Daimler and Richemont.
The first ceremony took place in 2000 in Monte Carlo in Monaco.
A panel composed of professional sports editors, writers and broadcasters vote in five categories, resulting in six nominations.
These five categories are Sportsman of the Year, Sportswoman of the Year, Team of the Year, Comeback of the Year and Breaktrough of the Year.
A special panel makes the choices for the Action Sportsperson of the Year and the Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability.
Members of the Laureus World Sports Academy then select the winner by voting in a secret ballot.
On Tuesday, the awards were handed out for the 18th time, but for the 17th time, a ceremony was organized.
The ceremony in 2009 was cancelled due to the world economic crisis and the awards were then handed out during other events.
This year, the ceremony was held again in Monaco, which also hosted the first four events in 2000-2003.
English actor Hugh Grant was the Master of Ceremonies at the Salle des Etoiles, which is part of The Sporting Club Monte Carlo.
The ceremony was attended by Prince Albert II of Monaco and his wife Princess Charlene.
The Award for Sportsman of the Year went to Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, who won three Gold Medals last year during the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).
It was the fourth time that Bolt won the Award.
He earlier won in 2009, 2010 and 2013.
With that, he equaled the record of Roger Federer (tennis), who won the Award in four consecutive years (2005-2008).
Sportswoman of the Year was American gymnast Simone Biles, who won five Medals (four Gold) in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
It was the first time that she won the Award.
Recordholder is Serena Williams (tennis), who the Award three times (2003, 2010 and 2016).
The Award for Breakthrough of the Year was handed out to German Formula One racing driver Nico Rosberg, who in 2016 was the World Champion.
The Comeback of the Year Award was for American swimmer Michael Phelps, who won five Gold and one Silver Medal in Rio de Janeiro.
The Action Sportsperson of the Year Award went to English downhill mountain bike racer Rachel Atherton.
The Award for Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability was handed out to Beatrice Vio from Italy, who won the Olympic Gold Medal in wheelchair fencing last year.
There were more Awards handed out on Tuesday-evening.
The Spirit of Sport Award was for the English soccer-team Leicester City, which won its first Premier League-title in the 2015-2016 season.
The first winner of this Award in 2005 was the baseball-team of the Boston Red Sox.
Another winner (last year) of this Award is Dutch soccer-player Johan Cruyff, who passed away in March of last year.
The Sport for Good Award for Sporting Inspiration this year went to the Refugee Olympic Team that participated in the Rio Olympics.
The Laureus Sport for Good Award for an organization or individual who in the opinion of the Laureus Academy-members have used the power of sport to overcome violence, discrimination or disadvantage, was handed out to Waves for Change from South Africa.
For the first time, the Best Sporting Moment of the Year Award was handed out.
Sports fans around the world were able to vote for this.
The Award went to the Barcelona Under-12 Team for the warmth they showed in consoling a Japanese team whom they had beaten.
(February 14)
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