Juan Martin del Potro Dominates at 7th Annual Premios Fox Sports™; Nabs Best Tennis Player and Athlete of the Year Honors

Fans of international sports have plenty to celebrate tonight as the seventh edition of Fox Pan American Sports LLC’s Premios Fox Sports™, held this evening at Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, honored the contributions and accomplishments of US Hispanic and Latin American athletes and personalities from the world of sports, both on and off the field.

Hosted by Fox Sports on-air personalities Tania Rincón (Lo Mejor de Fox Sports) and German Paoloski (Futbol Para Todos), the star-studded Premios Fox Sports was telecast live to more than 26 million households in the United States and Latin America and brought together the very best in Latino sports and entertainment.

Ranked fifth in the South African Airways ATP world rankings, 2009 U.S. Open Champion Juan Martín del Potro from Argentina was the evening’s biggest winner. Twenty one year-old del Potro, the youngest player among the top 20 players in the world, was named "Best Tennis Player” and "Athlete of the Year.”

"Premios Fox Sports once again has proven to be the year’s hot ticket,” said Patrick Ilabaca, vice president of event marketing for Fox Pan American Sports LLC. "Thanks to the support of our sponsors, advertisers, partners and our friends from throughout the Fox family, this year’s awards show was our biggest to date. Fox Pan American Sports congratulates this year’s distinguished winners and honorees, and sends a special thank you to the many athletes, entertainers and personalities that helped make the seventh edition of Premios Fox Sports an overwhelming success.”

Following are the official 2009 Premios Fox Sports award categories and winners:

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AND BEST TENNIS PLAYER
Juan Martín del Potro (Argentina)

PARALYMPIC ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Amalia Pérez Vázquez (Mexico)

BEST BASEBALL PLAYER
Albert Pujols (Dominican Republic)

BEST BOXER
Marcela "La Tigresa" Acuña (Argentina)

BEST SOCCER TEAM
Estudiantes de la Plata (Argentina)

BEST SOCCER PLAYER
Lionel Messi (Argentina)

BEST GOLFER
Angel Cabrera (Argentina)

BEST MOTORSPORT DRIVER
Helio Castroneves (Brazil)

The following Special Mentions and Recognitions were also awarded:

SPECIAL MENTION
Executive Committee of CONMEBOL
(Commemorating 50 years of the Copa Santander Libertadores)

SPECIAL MENTION
Javier Aguirre (Mexico)
(Outstanding Coach during 2010 CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers)

SPECIAL MENTION
Cuauhtémoc Blanco (Mexico)
(All-Time Top Mexican Scorer during Copa Santander Libertadores)

SPECIAL MENTION
Humberto Chupete Suazo (Chile)
(Top Scorer for CONMEBOL 2010 World Cup Qualifiers)

SPECIAL MENTION
Paola Espinosa (Mexico)
(Outstanding Olympics Career)

SPECIAL MENTION
Liga de Quito (Ecuador)
(Champion of Copa Nissan Sudamericana)

OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY SERVICE
Club Pachuca (Mexico)

BREAKOUT ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Fredy Montero (Colombia)

The Viewer’s Choices

Selected exclusively by fans via premiosfoxsports.com, winners of Viewer’s Choice Awards recognizing the best goals scored during the 2009 editions of Fox Sports en Español and Fox Sports Latin America’s exclusive soccer tournaments include:

BEST GOAL OF INTERLIGA™ 2009
Marco Fabián (Chivas de Guadalajara)

BEST GOAL OF COPA SANTANDER LIBERTADORES 2009
Martín Arzuaga (Universidad San Martin)

BEST GOAL OF UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2008-2009
Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)

Miss Premios Fox Sports™

Based on a combination of total online votes and judge’s scores from a live swimsuit and evening gown competition during this evening’s telecast, Miss Ecuador Alessia Andrade was crowned the winner of the inaugural Miss Premios Fox Sports™ contest, the first-ever sports-themed pageant recognizing the beauty and grace of female sports fans throughout the United States and the Spanish-speaking Americas. Miss Premios Fox Sports was awarded a one-year spokesperson contract, a $1,000 cash prize and the opportunity to join Fox Sports en Español and Fox Sports Latin America’s prestigious team of on-air personalities and commentators.

The musical line-up for the seventh edition of Premios Fox Sports kicked off with the world television debut of cumbia music group Nando Y Solja Kingz’ live performance of "Mission 1.” Puerto Rican singer/songwriter and Latin Grammy-winner Kany Garcia delighted fans with her latest single "Feliz.” International superstar and Billboard Latin Music Award winner Pitbull closed the show with the highly-anticipated, show-stopping rendition of his chart-topping "I Know You Want Me” and a fan-favorite medley of mega hits "Shut it Down” and "Hotel Room Service.”

Winners, honorees, celebrities and sports personalities in attendance included actor and television personality Daisy Fuentes, actor Wilmer Valderrama, recording artist and composer LENA, Florida Marlins pitcher Aníbal Sánchez, singer and songwriter Claudio Corsi, Mexican soccer superstar Cuauhtémoc Blanco, Miss Universe 2003 Amelia Vega, television personality Maria Laria, and Puerto Rican merengue singer Melina León.

In addition to Pink Carpet presenting sponsor Liverpool, sponsors of the seventh annual Premios Fox Sports included Banco Santander, Corona, Nextel, Red Bull, and Bacardi. The inaugural Miss Premios Fox Sports pageant was made possible through the generous support of Tropicbeauty.com, Greenroom Salon, Flirtcatalog.com, True Religion Eyewear, Baron Visual Images, and Rose Hall Resort – a Hilton property (Montego Bay, Jamaica).

The live awards program was preceded by two official Premios Fox Sports events benefiting the Ganley Foundation, a non-profit organization that seeks to raise awareness about depression and suicide. The Premios Fox Sports Golf Classic and the first annual Premios Fox Sports Poker Tournament were held on December 9 at Parkland Golf & Country Club and The Poker Room at Seminole Paradise, respectively.

About Fox Pan American Sports

Fox Pan American Sports LLC, operator of Fox Sports en Español and Fox Sports Latin America, is an international sports programming and production entity jointly owned by HM Capital Partners LLC and News Corporation's (NYSE:NWS) Fox Sports International.

About Ganley Foundation

The Ganley Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, creates awareness and educates communities about depression and suicide among adolescents. Ganley Foundation works to break through the challenges and stigmas that prevent proper intervention and treatment for depression. In 2004 the foundation launched The Crusade for Awareness™ campaign which was created to promote mental health by educating youth and their parents about the signs, consequences and prevention of depression. Through education, young people will be able to recognize the signs of depression in themselves and their peers. Their mission is to save lives through mental health awareness. For more information, please visit ganleyfoundation.org.

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