Peace and Sport welcomes 9 new international athletes in the Champions for Peace Club

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Published on Thursday, 21 September 2017 15:05

Monaco, France – 21 September 2017

Peace and Sport, the politically-neutral organisation dedicated to the peace-through-sport movement, has today – International Day of Peace - unveiled a host of new Champions for Peace to help spread the organisation's vision across the world.

Current Champions for Peace include more than 100 sportspeople such as triple Olympic Champion and President of the Paris 2024 Organising Committee Tony Estanguet, Marathon World-record holder Paula Radcliffe, 4x winner of the Tour de France Chris Froome, Former ATP #1 Novak Djokovic and Pole-Vault World-record holder and 2 times Olympic Champion Yelena Isinbaeva.

Peace and Sport’s new Champions for Peace, revealed ahead of the organisation’s tenth edition of the Peace and Sport International Forum in Monaco on 6-8 December, are:

• Didier Drogba(Football, UEFA Champions League winner, Ivory Coast)
• Laure Fournier (Sambo, Vice-World Champion, France)
• Tahl Leibovitz (Para-Table Tennis, Paralympic Champion, USA)
• Adrien Maré (Motorsport, Baja World Champion, Monaco)
• Daba Modibo Keita (Taekwondo, 2x World Champion, Mali)
• Zsolt Moradi (Kickboxing, 8x World Champion, Hungary)
• Sarah Ourahmoune (Boxing, World Champion, France)
• Florent Pietrus (Basketball, Captain of National Team, France)
• Isabelle Yacoubou (Basketball, Captain of National Team, France)

All of them have demonstrated their commitment or belief in sport as a tool for peace. Some of them were recommended by International Federations, other Champions for Peace or sports institutions due to their demonstrated involvement in sport for development projects. Coming from different discipline, countries and background, their new energy will strengthen the club and the peace-through-sport movement.

As part of its ongoing effort to use sport as a tool to change the world for the better, Peace and Sport regularly calls upon its Champions for Peace to share their experience, to encourage best practice and peaceful action and to engage in field projects. The new Champions for Peace will be involved, for instance, in the “Sport Workshops” which target people without social and/or professional occupation and aim to put the values of sport at the service of individual socio-professional projects.

Joel Bouzou, Peace and Sport’s President and Founder, said:

“The Champions for Peace have become an incredibly important part of our mission to promote the peace-through-sport movement, and I am ecstatic to welcome so many new faces to our family.

“These athletes will help to spread our message even further than ever before.  As we celebrate our tenth year in existence, it is very special to be able to add such talent to our ambassador base."

Didier Drogba added:

"Experience has taught me that I can use my voice to bring about change and that I can be an example for others. I take my role of ambassador very seriously and I hope that it will give me new opportunities to speak about problems that affect my country and my continent, which are so close to my heart."

Tahl Leibovitz said:

“It is a great honor to be part of Peace and Sport; an organization that exemplifies what it means to create and sustain life changing experiences through sport. Being a champion for peace is immensely personal for me because it provides the structure and path to help impact society in a profound and meaningful way.”

Daba Modibo Keita added:

“Taekwondo taught me the values of respect, discipline, humility, courage and love. Sport changed my life and helped me to overcome the consequences of war and exile. I now have the responsibility to share my experience. That is why I am proud to become a Champion for Peace, and I cannot wait to get started.”

Through structured action and methods of expression that Peace and Sport gives them, Champions for Peace work to make sport a tool for dialogue and social cohesion. Role-models and a source of inspiration for young people throughout the world, they dedicate their time, their fame, and their athletic experience to serve projects which use sport to tackle social issues.

Attachments:
New Champions for Peace - Press kit