Team Darfur's Joey Cheek Contender for Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year

Team Darfur's Joey Cheek Contender for Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year

Cheek honored for efforts to raise awareness about the Darfur genocide among Olympic athletes

WASHINGTON – Team Darfur president and Olympic gold medalist Joey Cheek is among the contenders for Sports Illustrated's 2008 Sportsman of the Year. Team Darfur - now a project of the Save Darfur Coalition - is an international coalition of athletes committed to raising awareness about and bringing an end to the Darfur genocide. The campaign was particularly active leading up to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, when athletes sought to educate the global public about the Chinese government's ties to Sudan. Sports Illustrated will announce its winner tomorrow, December 2.

After winning gold in the 500 meter race and silver in the 1000 meter race at the Turin Olympics, Cheek donated his $40,000 in award money to Right to Play - an international aid organization focused on bringing the benefits of sport and play to the most disadvantaged children in the world. Cheek's donation inspired his sponsors and other athletes to collectively donate more than $1 million to children in Darfur. For his efforts, he was elected by his teammates to carry the U.S. flag at the closing ceremonies. Cheek was also honored with the inaugural Heisman Humanitarian Award in December 2006.

"This nomination is a victory for all of Team Darfur's 450 athletes who worked to raise awareness about Darfur around the 2008 Olympic Games," said Team Darfur executive director Martha Heinemann Bixby. "Those games were a turning point in awareness about Darfur and what must be done to end the genocide there. Team Darfur athletes will continue to speak out and raise their voices from the sports pages to the federal government."

In August - just days before the Opening Ceremonies of the Beijing Games - the Chinese Embassy in Washington contacted Cheek to inform him that his previously issued visa was revoked. The official who called Cheek stated simply that he was "not required to give a reason" for revoking visas. Cheek planned to attend the Games to support the more than 72 Team Darfur athletes competing in Beijing, while also drawing attention to the ongoing Darfur genocide and what China and the international community could do to stop it.

Abhinav Bindra - another Team Darfur athlete - was also nominated for the Sports Illustrated honor. Bindra became India's first ever individual gold medalist after his performance in the 10 meter air rifle at this year's Summer Games. Past winners of Sportsman of the Year include then-Packers quarterback Brett Favre, the Heat's Dwyane Wade and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

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About the Coalition: The Save Darfur Coalition – an alliance of more than 180 faith-based, advocacy and human rights organizations – raises public awareness about the ongoing genocide in Darfur and mobilizes a unified response to the atrocities that threaten the lives of people throughout the Darfur region. The coalition’s member organizations represent 130 million people of all ages, races, religions and political affiliations united together to help the people of Darfur. For more information on the coalition, please visit www.SaveDarfur.org. To obtain footage from the Darfur border region, coalition events, various interviews, and more, please visit the Save Darfur Coalition media gallery at http://media.savedarfur.org. All footage may be previewed in non-broadcast quality and may be purchased in broadcast quality by filling out the purchase request form provided on the site.