UNIQLO and the International Tennis Foundation have announced that Colombia’s Johana Martinez is the winner of the 2020 UNIQLO Spirit Award.

Manoj Soma of Choice International, a UK-based international development organisation that uses disability sports as a platform to address social inequality, was named runner-up for this year’s award.

The UNIQLO Spirit Award was launched in 2017 to recognise a wheelchair tennis player who embodies the principles and core values of UNIQLO and Fast Retailing Group, seeking to challenge and change the world around them by challenging themselves and striving for the highest standards imaginable, pursuing their goals with an innovative spirit and a shared desire to see wheelchair tennis continually moving forward to ever greater heights.

The judging panel, comprised of ITF Wheelchair Tennis Committee members and ITF Head of Wheelchair Tennis Alistair Williams created a shortlist of nominations, with UNIQLO invited to choose a winner and runner-up.

Martinez was nominated for the award by the Colombian Tennis Federation in recognition of her dual role as a leading player and ambassador for wheelchair tennis in the nation for the past two decades.

Since becoming involved in wheelchair tennis in 2003, the 40-year-old went on to become the first Colombian and South American female player to travel the world and take part in the Paralympics. A winner of 20 titles, the former world No.21 also works closely together with her national federation to promote wheelchair tennis in Colombia, and has travelled for the ITF to other countries for development activity.

Martinez is the fourth winner of the Award, joining South Africa’s Patrick Selepe and Americans Nick Taylor and Karin Korb, and receives US$5,000 prize in recognition of her achievements.

“For me it is a great honour to win the UNIQLO Spirit Award 2020,” said Martinez. “This prize means everything, a beautiful recognition of my history and my passion for wheelchair tennis.

“I get this award thanks to many people who have believed in me and our sport, including the Colombian Tennis Federation and the ITF. I'm sure we will continue working together promoting wheelchair tennis – and now also with the Ganbare Foundation, which I created this year to keep supporting this inclusive sport, to give more opportunities to our society and to keep growing the sport around the world.

“Thanks to UNIQLO for everything you are doing for wheelchair tennis and the athletes, you are so valuable for us. And many thanks to my team, especially my family who is my big support in this journey. While I promote the sport, I will keep pushing forward as an athlete going for my goals: playing my last Paralympic Games in Tokyo next year, and motivating more people and athletes to go for their dreams.”

Runner-up Soma, an accomplished wheelchair tennis player and coach, is founder and director of Choice International, which promotes disability sports, equality and well-being. While the foundation is based in the UK, where he has established training sessions which moved online during lockdown in 2020, they have also started to promote wheelchair tennis in in his native India and other developing countries.

“It is an honour for me and Choice International to have been awarded UNIQLO Spirit Award runner-up,” said Soma. “We are very passionate about promoting wheelchair tennis, disability sports, inclusion and diversity in the UK and overseas. This recognition for Choice International’s commitment will give us a huge advantage and new energy to move forward with our work being innovative and resilient during the challenging times with COVID-19.”

Soma receives a set of UNIQLO clothes in recognition of his achievements.

"We are pleased to announce the winner of UNIQLO Spirit Award this year, said UNIQLO Head of Global Marketing, Koji Yanai. "We offer this award to recognise a wheelchair tennis player who, in the opinion of the Judging Panel, best personifies UNIQLO and Fast Retailing Group’s core principles and values.

"Though it has been a challenging year in so many ways, we are as proud as ever to announce the outstanding individuals from around the world who seek to not only challenge themselves, but also the world around them, with an indomitable spirit in their pursuit of excellence in wheelchair tennis. We would like to offer our heartfelt congratulations to the winner and the runner-up."