March 6 – Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez has signed up to the ‘Athens Principle for the right to play sport’. Pérez was on hand for a signing ceremony that also saw the Euroleague (basketball) president Jordi Bertomeu sign the accord.
The Athens Principle is an initiative of Olympiacos and Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis and Harvard University.
Last September at a conference titled ‘Reinforcing, Crossing, and Transcending Borders: Soccer in a Globalized World’, Marinakis delivered a a message to the world’s leading clubs saying “it is vital that they now accept their social responsibility towards their communities, and the world, by means of promoting specific actions and initiatives that can change the lives of everyday people.”
The result of the that conference was the signing commitment to the Athens Principle (see below) and a vow to spread the principle to clubs worldwide. Real Madrid are the first of Europe’s giant clubs to sign up. Included in the Principles is a call to establish an International Day of the Right to Play which would affirm the right to participate in sport as a universal and fundamental right.
In pledging Real Madrid’s commitment Pérez said:“We respect this great effort by Mr. Marinakis for the Athens Principle and we will help with all our strength so that the message this initiative wants to pass is spread everywhere.”
Harvard University’s Stephen Ortega, focussing on the message of unity through sport, said: “I sincerely thank Euroleague, Florentino Pérez Ozan Balaban (Vice President of Fenerbahçe Doğuş) for their support, as well as Christian Karembeu (representing Olympiacos), who is always on our side, since the beginning. However, I would like to thank particularly Olympiacos’ leader, Evangelos Marinakis, because without his assistance and effort we wouldn’t be able to organize this conference a few months earlier and to sign this great Athens Principle in order to send the message of unity through sports.”
“We are truly satisfied, in Olympiacos as an institution, that this effort of ours with Harvard University is being embraced by the world of sports. Real Madrid, Fenerbahçe and, of course, the Euroleague itself are huge organizations and we see that they stand by our initiative so that we might turn sports into the ‘vehicle’ that will lead to a better future for the peoples of the world.”
The 12 principles are:
- This Declaration is a common standard of achievement for all clubs, teams, players and sports associations of all sports, to the end that every individual and company should strive, through education and example, to promote respect for these rights and to progressively secure their effective recognition and observance.
- Every human being has a fundamental right to participate in sport without discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, language, religion, political or other opinion, or national or social origin. Furthermore, no distinction should be made on the basis of the political or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs. Clubs and sport associations should actively campaign against and refuse to engage in any such discrimination at both youth and professional levels.
- Participation in sport should be based on the principles of healthy and honest competition and respect for all competitors.
- Initiatives that encourage the participation of displaced people, whatever their civil status, in sporting activities should be supported.
- Sport for young people should be first and foremost about participation, physical activity and having fun.
- Girls should have as much access to sport and sport teams as boys, particularly in school and in youth games and leagues.
- Everyone should have equal access without discrimination to sport training, resources and services, as well as the opportunity to participate in all supervision and decision-making at all levels of sport.
- Clubs and sport associations agree to encourage greater participation in sport in conflict ridden or economically depressed areas and, when possible, to contribute financial resources, including providing used but appropriate equipment for the use of those people who lack adequate resources to participate in sport.
- Adequate and safe places, facilities, equipment and dress-options should be provided to meet the needs of all participants in sport, bearing in mind the different needs associated with people of different cultures, genders, ages and abilities.
- Sport facilities should be made more accessible to a greater percentage of the global population.
- An International Day of the Right to Play should be declared to affirm the right to participate in sport as a universal and fundamental right and to promote the principles set out in this Declaration.
- Initiatives should be developed to create partnerships with researchers and NGOs whose work will be helpful to implementing these principles.
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