Laureas Sports Awards to feature Olympic champion Mark Spitz and cricketer Steve Wagh

Germany's World Cup winning captain and manager Franz Beckenbauer, nine-time Olympic champion swimmer Mark Spitz and cricket legend Steve Waugh will be amongst a host of sporting legends gracing the Laureus World Sports Awards here on February 18. Laureus World Sports Academy Chairman Sean Fitzpatrick will lead a glittering collection of his fellow members at the awards ceremony, including no fewer than 20 Olympic and Paralympic gold medal winners, five FIFA World Cup winners and world champions from a variety of sports.

Former Australian captain Waugh will be the sole cricketer present on the occasion as an Academy member. Laureus Academy members who will be in Monaco are:

Football: Franz Beckenbauer, Cafu, Marcel Desailly, Luis Figo, Carles Puyol, Alessandro Del Piero; Athletics: Sergey Bubka, Cathy Freeman, Tegla Loroupe, Edwin Moses, Nawal El Moutawakel, Daley Thompson;

Rugby: Sean Fitzpatrick, Morné du Plessis, Hugo Porta; Golf: Lorena Ochoa; Tennis: Boris Becker, Li Na, Monica Seles; Cycling: Fabian Cancellara, Chris Hoy;

Gymnastics: Nadia Comaneci, Alexey Nemov, Li Xiaopeng; Boxing: Marvelous Marvin Hagler Skateboarding: Tony Hawk; Motor Sport: Giacomo Agostini, Mick Doohan, Emerson Fittipaldi;

Rowing: Steve Redgrave; American Football: Marcus Allen; Table Tennis: Deng Yaping; Swimming: Dawn Fraser, Mark Spitz; Paralympic Sport: Tanni Grey-Thompson;

Winter Sport: Maria Höfl-Riesch, Franz Klammer, Katarina Witt, Yang Yang; Cricket: Steve Waugh.