Prestigious IOC award for Gabriela Sabatini

New Delhi, Mar 11 (UNI) Former US Open champion and World No 3 Gabriela Sabatini has been awarded the world 'Women and Sports' trophy by the International Olympic Committee for her work to promote tennis in Argentina.

In an official ceremony held at the headquarters of the International Labour Organisation in Geneva on Thursday, Sabatini -- winner of 27 singles and 12 doubles titles and a silver medal in 1988 Olympic Games -- was handed over the prize.

Since her retirement in 1996, the Argentine with a huge fan following, has been promoting the game among youngsters and particularly girls and she described the gesture as ''giving back to sport something of the many things that sport gave to me''.

Sabatini funds a programme run by the National Tennis Federation and she also finances women's tennis tournaments and free tennis clinics for young children, which has been by and largely ignored by the media.

In the prize giving ceremony, five continental trophies were presented to women who played an outstanding role in promoting sport in their countries and the list included Albertine of Barbosa (Africa), Charmaine Crooks of Canada (America), Korean Elisa Lee (Asia), Dominique Petit of France (Europe) and Fijian Lorraine Mar (Oceania), according to information received here.

UNI AY DS1252