The 2024 Peace and Sport Awards, held in Monaco earlier this week, spotlighted the transformative power of sport to foster dialogue, unity and lasting change worldwide. With Prince Albert II leading the celebration, the event honoured individuals and organisations whose efforts are reshaping communities and inspiring hope across the globe.
Hosted by the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco on 3rd December, the 2024 Peace and Sport Awards highlighted the importance of sport and its power to inspire positive change by celebrating seven people and associations who epitomised the ethos of the Peace and Sport organisation.
2024 WINNERS
The Champion for Peace of the Year Award went to Sifan Hassan, a six-time Olympic medallist and trailblazing athlete, in recognition of her journey as a refugee to becoming a world-renowned athlete. Hassan exemplifies resilience and hope, with achievements both on and off the field that continue to inspire countless individuals, breaking barriers and setting new records along the way.
Tony Estanguet, a three-time Olympic champion in canoe slalom and the visionary leader behind the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, was honoured as Person of the Year. Prince Albert II personally presented the award to Estanguet, recognising his exemplary commitment to promoting inclusive sustainable, and transformative sport.
The Ecuadorian football club Independiente del Valle earned an accolade for its ‘Latidos del Valle’ initiative, winning the Peace Education Through Sport prize. This programme educates young football players on critical values such as inclusion, respect and anti-racism.
The Empowerment Through Sport Award went to Lighthouse Relief for its impactful work in refugee camps, where sport serves as a means of enhancing the mental and physical well-being of children and youth.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Sporting Authorities were celebrated for putting sport at the centre of their Vision 2030, earning them the Game Changers for Peace Award. This bold strategy positions sport as a catalyst for inclusion, societal development and long-term progress, redefining its role in fostering peace and unity.
The ‘Winds of Change’ initiative, led by Olympian and IOC Young Leader Sophia Papamichalopoulos, was honoured with the Diplomatic Action of the Year prize for uniting Cypriot youth from both sides of an island fraught with entrenched divides through sailing programs.
Finally, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) received the Coalitions for Peace Through Sport Award for its groundbreaking efforts to combat online abuse in sports. By uniting sponsors through training, awareness campaigns and policy changes, the FIA has pioneered creating safer digital spaces.
THE PEACE WALK
Before the ceremony, a special Peace Walk that began at the Palais Princier de Monaco and concluded at the Oceanographic Museum united hundreds of participants. Prince Albert and Monaco’s Minister of State, Didier Guillaume, joined Peace and Sport President Joël Bouzou, Vice-President Didier Drogba, Estanguet and the president of the FIA, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, at the head of the procession.
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Main photo credit: Axel Bastello / Palais Princier de Monaco