New Delhi/Mumbai, Nov 3: Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, the UNICEF South Asia Regional Ambassador, led a day for children and promoted gender equality alongside Sri Lankan cricket icon Muttiah Muralitharan during the India-Sri Lanka match in Mumbai. This event, known as “One Day for Children,” is a significant part of the ICC-UNICEF partnership aimed at supporting children’s issues during the ICC Men’s World Cup Cricket 2023 held in India.
During the second innings of the match, Sachin Tendulkar and Muttiah Muralitharan activated a button, causing the iconic Wankhede Stadium with its 32,000-strong crowd to be illuminated in UNICEF’s signature cyan blue color. This initiative is part of the longstanding collaboration between UNICEF and the International Cricket Council (ICC). Sachin Tendulkar, a cricketing icon and UNICEF South Asia Regional Ambassador, stated, “The World Cup is an opportune moment to bring people together and promote hope and equality for every child, and I am delighted that today’s match between Sri Lanka and India is the One Day for Children match.
I urge the players, the audiences here and across the world, and ICC partners, to pledge to treat boys and girls equally, irrespective of gender, and to build a world where all children, especially girls, have equal rights. I urge everyone to be a champion for children and pledge to end gender inequality together.”
In addition, the in-stadium audience received LED wristbands at the entrance, which turned blue in unison with the stadium. These wristbands included a QR code that linked to a pledge for children. All those who received wristbands were encouraged to scan the QR code and make a pledge. Players also wore unique armbands bearing the logos of the World Cup, One Day 4 Child, and UNICEF, along with their names. Cynthia McCaffrey, UNICEF India Representative, stated, “Today’s World Cup match is dedicated to advancing the rights and well-being of all children. This is a valuable opportunity to bring the power of cricket – its massive reach across the globe – to advocate for better, safer, and empowering lives for millions of girls and boys. We greatly value the partnership with ICC and BCCI to use cricket to raise awareness and promote gender equality among millions of young fans and followers, and urge them to be champions for children, especially for girls.”
The UNICEF-ICC partnership has been using cricket events to improve the lives of children and young people since 2016. Beginning in 2022, the partnership’s focus shifted to empowering girls and young women through cricket. Sachin Tendulkar, UNICEF’s South Asia Regional Ambassador, stated, “I strongly believe that playing sports can positively transform children’s lives.
Ensuring the participation of girls in sports can challenge gender norms and change attitudes in schools, playgrounds, and homes. Girls and boys everywhere dream of a better future, and when girls do better, we all do better!” South Asia is home to one-third of the world’s 600 million adolescent girls, yet their potential to change the world remains largely untapped.
For example, 1 in every 5 girls is undernourished, more than half of adolescent girls are anemic, and only 36 percent of girls have completed secondary school. Research indicates that with sufficient investments in the health and nutrition of girls and women, the world could save more than 12 million lives and prevent over 30 million unwanted pregnancies.
The ICC Men’s World Cup Cricket in India, taking place from October 5 to November 19, has garnered millions of fans and viewers. In addition to the One Day for Children event, UNICEF and ICC have promoted gender equality through various cricketing initiatives during the ICC World Cup 2023.
Cricketers from each of the 10 teams engaged with approximately 50 young boys and girls during 10 cricket clinics across 8 cities in India. In August 2023, in his capacity as UNICEF South Asia Regional Ambassador, Sachin Tendulkar visited Sri Lanka and met with children and parents affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis of 2022.
