El Gouna hosts special day highlighting healing power of sport
By SEAN REUTHE
The PSA Foundation has lent its support to the upcoming United Nations’ International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP), which takes place April 6 and coincides with the final qualifying rounds of the El Gouna International Squash Open and Orascom Development PSA Women’s World Championship.
The IDSDP, hosted by Peace and Sport and first held in 2013, is an annual celebration of the power of sport to drive social change, community development and to foster peace and understanding.
And this year’s celebration will see the world’s best squash players rally around the symbol of a ‘white card’ – as a sign of the sport’s commitment to peace efforts worldwide – while educating the crowd throughout the El Gouna International and Women’s World Championship on why squash is an instrument of peace and how squash can break down barriers.
“Peace and Sport have played a tremendous role all over the world by supporting sports initiatives that have a deep social impact and they have provided inspiration, guidance and expertise to those seeking to use sport to build sustainable peace around the world,” said PSA Marketing and Foundation Manager Adriana Olaya.
“Through the PSA Foundation, we are committed to promoting the same ideals and supporting more squash programmes and initiatives that serve as an element of peace, development and inclusion.
“The PSA has witnessed firsthand how squash changes lives through inspiring stories like our very own Peace and Sport ‘Champion for Peace’ Maria Toorpakai [speaker at the ninth Peace and Sport International Forum in November 2016 in Monaco] which is why we are actively participating in celebrating this date.”
The PSA Foundation has been instrumental in providing children in disadvantaged communities with access to recycled squash gear, with the Foundation’s ‘ReBound’ initiative providing equipment to over 500 children involved in urban outreach programmes in India, Colombia, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Nigeria.
Most recently, the PSA Foundation’s charitable endeavours helped raise over £4,000 during the Allam British Open for 11-year-old squash player Sumner Malik, who has been diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) – a rare form of brain tumour – with the money coming from a combination of raffle ticket sales and generous donations from squash fans.
To learn more about the PSA’s efforts during IDSDP, please visit www.april6.org/en/2017-events-list/el-gouna-squash-event
About the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace
Due to its vast reach, unparalleled popularity and foundation of positive values, sport is ideally positioned to contribute towards the United Nations’ objectives for development and peace. To raise awareness of this potential, April 6 was declared as the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP) by the UN General Assembly. The adoption of this day signifies the increasing recognition by the United Nations of the positive influence that sport can have on the advancement of human rights, and social and economic development.
About Peace and Sport
Founded in 2007 by Modern Pentathlon Olympic Medallist and World Champion Joël Bouzou, Peace and Sport is a neutral and independent worldwide organisation that is operational in using sport and its values as an instrument for peace.
Picture courtesy of PSA