"We work our asses off too" Bike star Aegerter moans because he didn't receive an invitation to the Sports Awards
Ski stars dominate the Sports Awards again this year. Football team captain Granit Xhaka also receives an award. No one from motorsport is nominated. Much to the annoyance of motorcycle rider Dominique Aegerter.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Dominique Aegerter waited in vain for an invitation to the Sports Awards 2024
- The 34-year-old motorcycle rider vented his anger on social media.
- "I'm not usually such a whiner, but you should support motorsport a bit," says Aegerter.
Dominique Aegerter has been traveling the world as a motorcycle rider for almost 20 years and has celebrated several successes. In 2014, he won a victory in Moto2, later he became world champion twice in the Supersport World Championship and overall winner in Moto-E in 2022.
People know Aegerter in Switzerland. And that's why he would have liked to be at least a guest at the Sports Awards. In a Tiktok video, the Bernese rider makes his anger public: "It's a shame that I wasn't invited to the Sports Awards. But yes, I know that motorcycling is a fringe sport, we don't have it that easy."
Lack of support for motorsport?
When he was still a Moto2 rider, he was invited twice. This year, however, he didn't see anyone from motorsport at the gala. "I'm not usually such a whiner, but you should support motorsport a bit," says Aegerter.
After all, he has been doing the sport for 20 years and is trying to make the Swiss national anthem resound around the world and display the Swiss cross on his helmet. "Maybe that will make a difference one day. We motorsport drivers also work our asses off so that we can deliver good results and represent little Switzerland all over the world."
The 34-year-old is not interested in a nomination. Aegerter, who was out injured for a long time this year after a training crash, is aware that his performances in 2024 were not enough to be nominated for the Best Swiss Athlete award.
Nevertheless, he had hoped for an invitation to the gala. "I would simply have liked to come as a guest to chat with all the athletes, coaches and media," he is quoted as saying by 20 Minuten. Even a place in the back row of the hall would have been fine with him.
Not the first time Aegerter has disappointed
After his triumph in Moto-E in 2022, Aegerter waited in vain for a nomination at the Sports Awards and made his disappointment public. "There are names on the Sports Awards list that have won significantly less or actually nothing at all," he said angrily at the time.
SRF has taken note of Aegerter's renewed statement. Aegerter did not make it onto the longlist of 15 athletes this year, according to a statement from SRF on "20 Minuten". And because "places in the studio are limited, we can only invite a limited number of guests to the show".