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Mixed Grill
Messi, Others Wins FIFA Awards
Already considered one of soccer's greats at age 24, Lionel
Messi on Monday became the first to win FIFA player of the year
three times in a row.
The Barcelona and Argentina forward received the FIFA Ballon
d'Or award for 2011, beating club teammate Xavi Hernandez and
Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo.
"It's a huge honor," Messi said after accepting the trophy from
retired Brazilian great Ronaldo.
The only other three-time winners are Ronaldo (1996-97, 2002)
and ZinedineZidane (1998, 2000, 2003). The FIFA award was
renamed last year when it merged with France Football's Golden
Ball.
On a night of Barcelona dominance, Pep Guardiola was honored as
men's coach of the year. He was chosen ahead of Real Madrid's
Jose Mourinho and Manchester United's Alex Ferguson.
Among the women, HomareSawa of Japan ended Brazilian forward
Marta's five-year reign as the top player. American Abby Wambach
was a finalist. Sawa led Japan to win the 2011 Women's World Cup
and adds the FIFA prize to those as the tournament's best player
and top scorer.
Messi scored 55 goals in 2011 for Barcelona, which won its third
Champions League title in six seasons, and he had four goals for
Argentina's national team. Barcelona won five trophies last
year,
Messi received 48 percent of the points in votes cast by
national team coaches and captains plus selected reporters.
Cristiano Ronaldo finished second with 22 percent and Xavi had 9
percent to finish third for the third straight year.
"This one is very special because I want to share this with my
friend and teammate Xavi. He deserves it," Messi said.
A major international tournament victory is all that now eludes
Messi. Guardiola and Ferguson agreed at an earlier news
conference that Messi should be considered in the same elite
category Pele, Diego Maradona and Alfredo di Stefano.
"Now he can sit beside them," Guardiola said.
Messi joined Michel Platini in winning the Ballon d'Or for three
consecutive years, though the France great won from 1983-85 when
only European players were eligible. Platini called Messi "a
pearl," but said he must win soccer's biggest prize to rival
Pele or Maradona.
"Messi will always be great with or without (winning) a World
Cup — but the World Cup, it's something special," Platini said.
"I think the World Cup will stay in the mind of the people."
Dutch forwards Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten also received
three Ballon d'Or awards. Before starting his victory streak,
Messi was runner-up twice behind Brazil's Kaka and Cristiano
Ronaldo.
Messi was outscored by Ronaldo in the Spanish league last season
— 40 to 31 — but elevated his game in the biggest matches. Xavi
described his teammate as "one of the best footballers in the
history of the sport."
"He's still young. I think he's probably going to break all the
records that exist in the sport," Xavi said.
U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann voted Messi first, followed by
Ronaldo and Diego Forlan. American captain Carlos Boacanegra had
Messi first, followed by Xavi and Ronaldo. Paul Kennedy of
Soccer America, the U.S. media voter, had Messi first followed
by Ronaldo and Xavi.
Messi missed a second trophy for the year's most beautiful goal.
Fans voted online from a list of 10 and chose the goal by Brazil
forward Neymar in his club Santos's 5-4 loss against Flamengo
last July.
Ferguson received the FIFA presidential award from SeppBlatter
in recognition of his 25 years as manager at Old Trafford. The
70-year-old Scot has won 12 English League and two Champions
League trophies.
"It is an honor for it to be given me in the twilight of my
life," he said.
Norio Sasaki was honored as best coach of a women's team for
guiding Japan to its World Cup title. PiaSundhage, whose U.S.
team lost in the final, and France's Bruno Bini were also on the
list.
The Japan Football Association received FIFA's Fair Play award
for its response to the earthquake and tsunami last March.
All three Ballon d'Or nominees were part of the 2011 all-star
lineup chosen by the FIFPro group of players' unions comprising
50,000 members worldwide. They selected a team entirely of
Barcelona, Madrid and Manchester United players:
Goalkeeper (IkerCasillas); defense (DaniAlves, Gerard Pique,
Sergio Ramos, NemanjaVidic); midfield (Xavi, Andres Iniesta,
Xabi Alonso); forwards (Messi, Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney).
...
Also National Network Publisher Receives Award
 In
recognition of his enormous contributions to the growth of
society through active professional journalism, Jerry Needam,
the publisher of National Network Group of Newspapers has been
honoured with an award of excellence.
Conferring the award on him on January 4, 2012 during the 19th
anniversary celebration of Ogoni Day, Bonnadum Development
Foundation said the honour observed every five years was
deservedly bestowed on Jerry Needam for his achievement in
journalism thus meriting the Bonnadum Development Foundation
Ogoni Patriots Award. The first edition of the award was on
January 4, 2007.
Speaking during the conferment ceremonies, the president and
Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation, Nuka Nadum Nwikpasi
said the Ogoni Day was chosen and favoured by the Foundation
because it calls for celebration and rejoicing, noting that
Ogoni has not been extinct against the wishes of her enemies
while Shell remains persona-non-grata in Ogoni.
He however, explained that Bonnadum Foundation is not a faction
of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) but
an incorporated non governmental organization interested in the
non-violent strategies of Ogoni people to achieve knowledge,
empowerment politically, economically, socially, educationally,
culturally etc. Of Ogoni Day celebration, Mr Nadum Nwikpasi said
it is one legacy that must endeavour to renew and sustain as an
indigenous ethnic nationality on January 4, 2012 every year.
Dignitaries from all walks of life graced the award ceremony.###
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