Pakistani athletes raise white cards

Move comes as sportspersons celebrate International day of Sports Development and Peace

KARACHI:

Multiple Pakistani athletes including tennis ace Aisamul Haq Qureshi and Ju-Jitsu gold medallists Muhammad Ammar and Abu Hurraira raised white cards for the International day of Sports Development and Peace (IDSDP).

“A big chunk of population consists of youth in Pakistan. That is where the hope lies when it comes to making sustainable growth in sports and development. That is what our athletes are standing for,” Pakistan Ju-Jitsu Federation secretary and former coach Tariq Ali told The Express Tribune, as sportspersons held the white cards.

Ali emphasized that the goal is to spread awareness among the youth first and especially the ones who are out of the regular schools and college systems. In fact there needs to be inclusion of the youth, who are a part of madrasa system, and sports has the power to bring the change in the lives of the youngsters.

“We celebrate the IDSDP every year on April 6,” said Ali. “So this year is the same and we have our best athletes raising the white card to show that we stand for peace and development. This is the way to spread the awareness and try to reach the youth.”

Among the card raisers are ju-jistsu international medallists Isra Wasim, Kainat Arif, Shahzaib, Muhamad Ammar, Abu Hurraira, Muhammad Ali Rashid, Dilawar Khan Sannan, and Riasat Ali along with PJJF officals including Mehmoodul Hasan and Tehseenullah Khan.

Aisam also posted on his social media for the campaign with Peace and Sports.

"I truly believe if everyone on this planet was associated with any sport in one way or the other, this World would be a better and peaceful place," he wrote, for the goal of promoting peace through sports.

A rough estimate of Pakistan’s youth population was 64 per cent, according to the UN Development reports in 2018. With most of its population being on a younger side, the opportunities for sports to flourish are countless along with keeping the 2022 IDSDP in mind, which is, “Securing a Sustainable and Peaceful Future for All: The Contribution of Sport,” which creates an opportunity for the Day’s celebrations to promote the use of sport as a tool to “advance human rights and sustainable development.”

Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) also celebrated the day according to the Olympic Council of Asia website, with POA President Syed Arif Hasan and Secretary General Khalid Mahmood stating, “This year I hold a #WhiteCard because I believe that sport can help achieve unity and global cooperation.”

Looking for Pakistan-India peace

The video of 11-year-old Arman from Islamabad, Pakistan and the eight-year-old Riaan from Kolkata, India, raising their white card for each other to celebrate April 6 summed up the possibility of peace and growth for the future of the IDSDP, the two had also raised their flags four years ago.

The video was shared by Rahul Mukherji, who was also a part of South Asian Peace Action Network discussions on sports across borders last month.

Mukherji is a peace advocate and he is coordinating the April 6 event for Peace and Sport since 2020, while also being a part of projects involving sport and art to spread Olympic values and peace around the globe especially for children.

On the other hand, Tokyo Olympics gold medalist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra also raised the white card participating in the campaign with Peace and Sports.

“Sport is a great tool that allows us to go beyond social, ethnic and religious differences. Sport teaches us to be together and united. That’s why it should not be used to propagate political ideologies,” Chopra was quoted on their website.

Olympic medallist in shooting and philanthropist Abhinav Bindra also raised the white card for the campaign.

Peace and Sports are in partnership with Zalmi Foundation for the ninth edition of the campaign as well.

The Peace and Sports campaign motto was, “Through the #WhiteCard 2022 digital campaign, Peace and Sport wishes to reaffirm that sports is a great tool for creating and maintaining links beyond all differences and that it contributes to a more united world.”

With peace being the central theme, they had started mobilization launched with a statement for peace following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, and it staged the response of the sporting world.

On March 4, following the invasion in Ukraine, Peace and Sport published a column signed by more than 700 people, including 49 Champions for Peace and 18 Olympic Champions, which invited sports stakeholders to demand peace and to contribute to its construction.

The Vice-President of Peace and Sport Didier Drogba, Christian Karembeu, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Oleksiy Klyamar, Quentin Fillon-Maillet, Tony Estanguet, Yohan Blake, Cléopâtre Darleux and Sarah Ourahmoune were among the signatories.