Olympians and Paralympians from across the world, including India’s two-time Olympic medalist shuttler PV Sindhu, have called on world leaders to ensure equal access to COVID-19 vaccines.
In a video produced by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), athletes called on world leaders and decision-makers to ensure free and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. The call comes weeks ahead of the start of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, which will take place from February 4-20.
The video, launched by the International Olympic Committee on Tuesday, features more than 20 Olympians and Paralympians from all corners of the world.
These included Olympic champions Federica Pellegrini (swimming, Italy) and Seung-Min Ryu (table tennis, South Korea), three-time Olympic medalist Pau Gasol (basketball, Spain), two-time Olympic medalist Maja Martina Waszczóska (cycling, Poland). , and Humphrey Kayange (rugby, Kenya), who are all members of the IOC At’letes’ Commission.
Several other Olympic and Paralympic champions are also included: Olympic champion Valerie Adams (Athletics, New Zealand), Alistair Brownlee (Triathlon, UK), Osia Colinissau (rugby, Fiji), Gianmarco Tambri (Athletics, Italy), and IOC President Thomas Bach ( Fencing); Paralympic champions Martina Keroni (Athletics, Italy), Eli Cole (Swimming, Australia), Jacob Krakow (Alpine Skiing, Slovakia), Tatyana McFadden (Athletics, Nordic Skiing, USA), Jitske Visser (Wheelchair Basketball, Netherlands) and Annika Zane ( Cycling, Germany).
Other athletes featured are: Olympic medalists Danka Bartekova (Shooting, Slovakia), PV Sindhu (Badminton, India) and Luiza Zlotkowska (Speed Skating, Poland); Olympians Gaby Ahrens (Shooting, Namibia), Jonathan Borley (Athletics, Belgium), Uche AK (Gymnastics, Nigeria), Ann-Kristin Golia (Sailing, Germany), Alex Hua Tian (Equestrian, China), Niluka Karunaratne (Badminton, Mr. Lanka), Sylvia Mittermüller (Snowboarding, Germany), Alexey Pappas (Athletics, Greece), Akiko Thomson (Swimming, Philippines) and Gabriela Trana (Athletics, Costa Rica), the IOC said in a release.
In his message, the athletes emphasized the importance of staying united to fight the pandemic effectively: “As athletes, we can bring the world together through the power of sport. Now, more than ever, we are united to use that power of sport and the Olympic and Paralympic movement to help win the fight against COVID as we move faster, we aim higher, when we We stand together when we stand strong”.
They continue: “We have been given a way forward with a safe and effective vaccine that can help save precious lives and protect our friends … and our families. So we go to governments, foundations, philanthropists , calling on health organizations and social businesses to join hands to deliver free and equal access to vaccines for everyone around the world, pledging our collective responsibility to protect the most vulnerable as the people on this planet Everyone has the right to live a healthy life. We are stronger together when we stand in solidarity and care for each other.”
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, has been joined by world leaders in calling for 70 percent of the population of all countries to end the acute phase of vaccination by early July 2022. Epidemic.
It is an effort by the IOC to engage the world’s top sportspersons to inspire world leaders to ensure that the vaccine is available to all.
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