The SPORTEL Awards, the international cultural event that celebrates the best of sport and champions, is revealing today who will receive the Lifetime Sport Achievement Award 2024, an award to recognize inspiring and victorious trajectories.
Nikola Karabatic, who has just participated in his sixth Olympics after Athens (2004), Beijing (2008), London (2012), Rio (2016) and Tokyo (2021), will be honored in Monte-Carlo on October 28, 2024, during the SPORTEL Awards ceremony, which will take place at the Grimaldi Forum.
Karabatic was voted Best in the World three times
Nikola Karabatic is the best handball player in history, the left winger, who won 61 club titles, including three in the Champions League, 22 national championships (including 16 in France and 9 with Paris Saint-Germain) in 23 seasons professionals, retired at age 40 after competing in the Paris Olympic Games.
Born in Serbia on April 11, 1984, Nikola Karabatic quickly demonstrated a natural talent for his passion, handball. He joined Montpellier’s training ground in 2001, played his first game for the professional team at 17 and won his first Champions League with a French club in 2003.
After four seasons in Germany with THW Kiel, where he dominated the Bundesliga thanks to his exceptional performance. With a total of 306 goals in 49 games in his first year, he returned to France in 2009.
In this way, his talent and popularity continued to increase, and he soon became a fan favorite. After two seasons in Catalonia with FC Barcelona, Karabatic signed for Paris Saint-Germain in 2015.
This prodigy athlete, blessed with incredible technical skills and a rare vision of the game, is the most successful player in the history of world handball, with 11 titles in the French team: three-time Olympic champion, a silver medal, four-time world champion, four-time European champion and a total of 17 international medals.
Three times chosen as the Best Player in the World by the International Handball Federation and 2011 Champion of Champions by the newspaper L’Équipe, the French national team player, with 364 matches and 1,303 goals, will receive the Lifetime Sport Achievement Award during the SPORTEL Awards.
SPORTEL Awards deservedly awarded
Marine Picoulet, Director of the SPORTEL Awards, commented: “We are very proud to welcome Nikola Karabatic to Monaco, who has been demonstrating his exceptional talent on the world stage for over 20 years. This charismatic player left a significant mark on the biggest clubs in the world where he played.”
“Thus, his physical strength, technical ability and tactical intelligence made him a complete and versatile player. We will honor this special champion, and the SPORTEL Awards Lifetime Sport Achievement Award will be a wonderful tribute to his remarkable career.”
After Didier Deschamps in 2018, Alain Prost in 2019 and Katarina Witt in 2023, Nikola Karabatic, unanimously recognized as the G.O.A.T. of handball, will be honored in Monaco for his immense talent and exceptional career.
Upcoming SPORTEL events
In December 2024, SPORTEL will expand its horizons with the launch of SPORTEL Talks New York. This new initiative promises to be a highlight of the sector at the end of the year, in the city that never sleeps. With a focus on innovation, the event already generates high expectations in the market.
Scheduled for December 16th, SPORTEL Talks New York will be held in conjunction with SVG Summit NYC. This event, which will take place on December 16th and 17th, is the main meeting point for sports production professionals. So, the event will be a meeting of influential leaders, innovators and professionals from the sports media and technology sectors.
Last but not least, Miami will once again host a new edition of SPORTEL America, April 1-2, 2025, at the prestigious JW Marriol Miami, ideally located on the vibrant waterfront and financial district of Brickell.
Thus, this two-day event will bring together:
- Key International Media Decision Makers
- TV networks
- Streaming platforms
- Sports technology companies
- Startups from the Americas and other countries
Therefore, it will be a unique opportunity to get involved and connect with the dynamic SPORTEL community. Innovative masterclasses and targeted networking sessions will be presented, designed to promote partnerships and business opportunities.
