A rewarding week for sport

There were lots of winners at last week's Sportel Monaco.

One of the highlights of the annual Sportel [1] networking event is the Georges Bertellotti Golden Podium Awards ceremony. During this year's gala evening, Peace and Sport Organization [2] announced the winners of its Image of the Year are tennis players Rohan Bopanna from India and Ul-Haq Aisam Qureshi from Pakistan. Rohan (Hindu) and Aisam (Muslim) have played in a doubles team for 3 years, and during the 2010 ATP World Tour they wore outfits with the slogan Stop War, Start Tennis. Dubbed by fans the Indo-Pak Express, the duo reached the final of the US Open, and have brought the political authorities in their respective countries closer through their own friendship and commitment.

Another award winner was Francesco Totti, captain of Italian football team Roma FC. Internet users voted for the soccer player on the Golden Foot website, and he will now have his footprints added to the Champions' Promenade in Monaco, along with Giancarlo Antognoni, Franz Beckenbauer, Carlos Dunga et Hugo Sanchez.

Finally, the 2010 Golden Podium Awards Winners, along with links to some of their video images on YouTube, were:

• Best slow motion sequence, cut/edited shot, Roland Garros 2010 women's final, Miracolo Italiano Viva Francesca. Director, Francoise Boulain. Producer, France Televisions
• Best slow motion sequence, isolated camera shot, Christophe Lemaitre. Directors, Jean-Pierre Leroux, Christophe Baudouin. Producer, Florent Houzot, France Televisions
• Best sound design Radio France Prize, NBA Tease Draft. Director, Sam Silver. Producer, ESPN
• Best sports program opening montage, World Cup 2010 Titles. Directors, John McKenna, Richard Norley. Producer, Paul McNamara, ITV Sport
• Best sports trailer/teaser, Umpires Haka Promo. Director/producer, Owain Morgan-Jones, S4C
• Direct Sport people’s choice award for best sports trailer/teaser, La Parenthese Universelle. Director/ producer, Marc Nardino (La Cuisine aux Images), Thierry Gerberon (Grizzly Productions)
• International Olympic Commitee Grand Prize, Lassila Gold. Director, Liam Berkery. Producer, Nine Network
• Best sports related advertising film, with the collaboration of CB News Magazine, Campagne publicitaire PMU. Producer, Agence Publicis Conseil
• European sports TV audience award, with the collaboration of Eurodata Worldwide, FIFA World Cup

Monaco celebrates winners at Georges Bertellotti Golden Podium Awards [3]

Winners of the Peace and Sport Image of the Year, an Indian and a Pakistani Unite for Peace [4]

Golden Foot 2010 : Totti ahead of Raul [5]