Sebastian Vettel poses with his Laureus sportsman trophy in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday Photo: CFP

Missy Franklin poses with her Laureus sportswoman trophy in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday Photo: CFP

Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel and swim star Missy Franklin were named Laureus sportsman and woman of the year on Wednesday in a ceremony in Malaysia that was tinged with tragedy over the MH370 plane ­disaster.

Germany's treble-winners Bayern Munich beat out rugby's All Blacks for team of 2013 and Rafael Nadal won comeback of the year at the glamorous awards show in downtown Kuala Lumpur.

The ceremony, packed with some of the greats of world sport, was preceded by a moment's silence for the 239 ­people killed when flight MH370 crashed in the Indian Ocean in still unexplained circumstances.

Vettel, F1's youngest four-time world champion and in Kuala Lumpur for this week's Malaysian Grand Prix, won sportsman of 2013 ahead of Usain Bolt, LeBron James, Nadal, Cristiano Ronaldo and Mo Farah.

Franklin, 18, beat tennis great Serena Williams and Russian pole vault queen Yelena Isinbayeva, among others, to the women's award. She won a record six golds at last year's world championships.

Spain's Nadal won comeback of the year for his amazing recovery from a career-threatening knee injury when he won the French Open and US Open and returned to world No.1.

Afghanistan's cricket team were ­honored with a spirit of sport award for their feat in rising from refugee camps and long-running conflict to qualify for the 2015 World Cup.

Spanish MotoGP rider Marc Marquez won breakthrough of the year for becoming his sport's youngest-ever world champion at the age of 20 years and 266 days.

Skier Marie Bochet of France, who was born without a left forearm, was named best sportsperson with a ­disability and British BMX rider Jamie Bestwick won the action sports award.

The winners were chosen by secret ballot by a 46-strong panel of sporting greats.

The widely televised show was moved from Rio de Janeiro after authorities in Brazil, which has seen protests over its hosting of the World Cup, became ­concerned over the reaction to spending public money on the event.

AFP - Global Times