Salut!

I am delighted to report that I spent the beginning of the week in Monte Carlo for the Laureus Sports Awards. I am sure you have heard about them, they are the "Oscars" of sporting achievement, and the winners this year included Tiger Woods, who retained the honour of Sportsman of the Year, plus the French national team who were Team of the Year, and Steve Redgrave who picked up a Lifetime Achievement award.

On Monday I took part in a golf tournament at the Monte Carlo golf club, which was fun, despite it raining for most of the day! My team came second, and I also won the nearest-the-pin competition, hitting my ball closer to the hole that the great Sevvy Ballesteros, who played that particular hole with every team.

That evening there was a great party, with guests including Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones from Hollywood. I spent the night with some of my French football colleagues, including Marcel Desailly, Youri Djorkaeff and Christophe Dugarry, plus Ryan Giggs and Dwight Yorke of Manchester United.

The actual awards ceremony was on Tuesday night, at the end of a beautiful sunny day, and I was honoured to help present the award to the Australian paraplegic sailor Vinny Lauwers for Athlete of the Year with a disability. It is absolutely marvellous how these people can perform to the highest standards in sport, whether it be swimming, running or sailing, and the reception the disabled athletes received showed just how impressed the audience were.

I am looking forward to my summer holidays, although it won't be as long as some teams because Villa will be playing in the Inter Toto Cup. But I shall keep myself in shape and come back fighting fit for pre-season training.

The weather looks to have picked up at last, so enjoy the summer while it lasts! .

A bientôt

David Ginola.

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