Tennis celebrity Li Na and top swimmer Ning Zetao were honored as the Best Female and Male Athletes of the Year at the China's Central Television Sports Awards in Beijing on Sunday, state-run Xinhua reported.

The yearly awards, seen as China's version of the international Laureus World Sports Awards, are the most anticipated honors of local sports.

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Ning, 21, won over four other nominees, including Zhang Jike who bagged last year's Table Tennis Men's World Cup and badminton superstar Lin Dan. Ning beat the men's 100-meter freestyle Asian record and went home with four gold medals at the 17th Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.

Li, 32, was accorded honors for both Best Female Athlete of the Year and Sports Special Contribution, for tireless and excellent work that led to unprecedented success in the development of tennis in China.

At the Australian Open last year, she won her second Grand Slam title. Li was placed world number two, the best ranking that an Asian player, female or male, has ever reached. However, she retired from tennis at 32 years old due to injuries that forced her out of competition.

Speed skater Zhang Hong was given the recognition as Best Breakthrough of the Year. At the Sochi Winter Olympics, she earned China's first ever Olympic speed skating gold after topping the women's 1000 meter title with a big margin.

Meanwhile, the fearsome foursome runners - Xie Zhenye, Chen Shiwei, Zhang Peimeng and Su Bingtian - were recognized the Best Relay/Pair of the Year. They won the men's 4x100 meter relay at the Asian Games and surpassed the Asian record.

China's queen of the volleyball belles Jenny Lang Ping and her team of spikers, the country's female volleyball team, claimed the silver medal at last year's FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship.

Jenny was named Best Coach of the Year; the Best Team of the Year went to the women's volleyball team; and rising star Yuan Xinyue, 18, clinched Best Rookie.

The Non-Olympic Athlete of the Year was handed to Chen Penbin, who was the first Chinese to win a world ultra-marathon title and she is also the first Chinese runner to go up against competition in all seven continents.