Li Na seeks top accolade as Shanghai hosts Laureus World Sports Awards
China's retired tennis star is looking forward to competing against Serena Williams off the court for honours, which will be held in China in April
Recently retired Chinese tennis star Li Na will enjoy home-court advantage as she vies for sportswoman of the year when the premier Laureus World Sports Awards take place in China for the first time in April.
Li Na will go up against another tennis legend, Serena Williams, in a six-woman field, organisers said yesterday.
The holding of the awards ceremony in the commercial hub of Shanghai comes as Beijing bids for the 2022 Winter Olympics, amid rumours that China could even seek to host the 2026 soccer World Cup.
I'm sure we are going to see more [Chinese winners] in the years ahead. Who knows? Could be this year
Although China is a Summer Olympics powerhouse, only three Chinese athletes or teams have won Laureus World Sports Awards: NBA basketball star Yao Ming, hurdler Liu Xiang and the Chinese Olympic team for the 2008 Games - which were held in Beijing.
"I'm sure we are going to see more [Chinese winners] in the years ahead. Who knows? Could be this year," double Olympic champion Edwin Moses said as the nominations for this year were announced.
For the men, footballer Cristiano Ronaldo will test his skills against number one golfer Rory McIlroy and the Formula One motor racing champion Lewis Hamilton.
"He's [Ronaldo] really, really good and playing for a fantastic team," said football coach Fabio Capello, now managing Russia's national team.
Ronaldo's club, Spain's Real Madrid, are in the running for team of the year, up against the German men's team who won the Fifa World Cup.
Others in the running for the sportsman award are top tennis player Novak Djokovic and World MotoGP title-holder Marc Marquez.
France's Renaud Lavillenie, who broke a 21-year-old world record for the pole vault last year, is also in contention.
