World Champion Mesut Özil was rewarded for his commitment to society in Berlin on Wednesday evening. The 26-year-old Germany international was awarded the Laureus prize for his charity work. During the World Cup in Brazil, Özil made a donation to fund the operations of 23 Brazilian children in the city of Coroata who were all suffering from a cleft lip.
“This award means a lot to me because I’ve been rewarded for something that I’ve done away from the pitch,” said Özil about the honour. “It makes me very, very proud. It also means a lot to me because I have helped children as they are our future.” Based on the number of players in the Germany squad at the World Cup, the FC Arsenal player funded 23 operations.
“I’m delighted that everything went well and the doctors did a great job,” said Özil. “Now it’s important that the children can live their lives and they have their futures ahead of them.”
The Germany international added: “It’s easier to help due to my fame and also because as a footballer I earn a lot of money. For me personally, it’s very important to help children. I have another small project that I want to make a reality and I’ll continue to put in effort off the pitch so that I can help as many children as possible.”
This is the tenth time that the Laureus prize has been awarded and this year was the first time it had been presented in Berlin. The event is focused on sports journalists, as well as people and organizations that have shown a particular contribution to society. As well as the members of the Laureus family, there were more than 200 guests present at the event from media, sport, social and economic organisations, including Franz Beckenbauer and Jens Lehmann.
World Champion Mesut Özil was rewarded for his commitment to society in Berlin on Wednesday evening. The 26-year-old Germany international was awarded the Laureus prize for his charity work. During the World Cup in Brazil, Özil made a donation to fund the operations of 23 Brazilian children in the city of Coroata who were all suffering from a cleft lip.
“This award means a lot to me because I’ve been rewarded for something that I’ve done away from the pitch,” said Özil about the honour. “It makes me very, very proud. It also means a lot to me because I have helped children as they are our future.” Based on the number of players in the Germany squad at the World Cup, the FC Arsenal player funded 23 operations.
“I’m delighted that everything went well and the doctors did a great job,” said Özil. “Now it’s important that the children can live their lives and they have their futures ahead of them.”
The Germany international added: “It’s easier to help due to my fame and also because as a footballer I earn a lot of money. For me personally, it’s very important to help children. I have another small project that I want to make a reality and I’ll continue to put in effort off the pitch so that I can help as many children as possible.”
This is the tenth time that the Laureus prize has been awarded and this year was the first time it had been presented in Berlin. The event is focused on sports journalists, as well as people and organizations that have shown a particular contribution to society. As well as the members of the Laureus family, there were more than 200 guests present at the event from media, sport, social and economic organisations, including Franz Beckenbauer and Jens Lehmann.
