FIFA World best player Lionel Messi has been beaten to the 2019 best athlete in Argentina award to basketball great, Luis Scola.
Captain of the Argentina Basketball team, Scola was crowned the Golden Olympus for the best Argentine player of the year voted by Circle of Sports Journalists (CPD) in Argentina.
At the event held at the Roberto De Vicenzo Activity Centre in Buenos Aires town of Berazategui, the 39 year old got five votes more than the Barcelona forward to get the recognition that awards the best athletes in Argentina during each calendar year.
Scola led Argentina to a silver medal at the FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup three months ago in China where they lost 95-75 in the final to Spain.
The Olympia Milano forward averaged 16.9 PPG, 7.1 RPG, and 1.5 APG and also finished in the top five of the tournament.
Scola has been a regular member of the Argentina national team since 1999 winning silver medals in 2002 and 2019 at the FIBA World Cup and a Gold and Bronze medal at 2004 and 2008 Olympics respectively.
