The World Cup reflects cricket's diversity and the sport will use its biggest global platform to continue its commitment to spread awareness about AIDS, said International Cricket Council (ICC) president Percy Sonn.
MONTEGO BAY (Jamaica): The World Cup reflects cricket's diversity and the sport will use its biggest global platform to continue its commitment to spread awareness about AIDS, said International Cricket Council (ICC) president Percy Sonn.
"Cricket through the players and officials wearing coloured ribbons during matches, as well as the final, demonstrate its social responsibility to publicise the issues of those affected by HIV and AIDS, and also our support for UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund)," said Sonn in his speech at the inauguration ceremony of the World Cup here Sunday.
Sonn said it was special for him to stand as the ICC president on the occasion of the opening ceremony of the first World Cup in the Caribbean and the West Indies must rank among the most idyllic, certainly romantic, and definitely stunningly aesthetic of cricketing venues on the globe.
"Together with the richness of its cricketing culture, and a history of cricketing greats, both past and present, the West Indies have come to symbolise to the world so much that is good and progressive about humanity," he said.
The West Indies won the World Cup in 1975 and 1979.
Sonn went on to add that the greats of the West Indies teams evoked so much passion and love from the Caribbean and the world that it continues to sustain so greatly, in need of hope, of light and love.
"These teams popularised our sport greatly and today we are truly global sport with 97 members in the ICC family," he pointed out.
All nations rallied to ensure that the West Indies produce the best Cricket World Cup ever.
"This shows the spirit of unity that binds us all through the game that we serve, for one nation's honour is shared with all in the great collective called cricket," said Sonn.
He said that the West Indies team in itself represent unity in diversity and in the same way the 16 teams participating reflect a wide diversity.
"They have been drawn from all five of our regions - Africa, the Americas, Asia, East Asia Pacific and Europe and represent a profile of cricket worldwide. The tie that binds all is that which we in the ICC call the Spirit of Cricket, where all play hard and play to win, but also seek to play the right way, respecting your teammates, the officials, the supporters, and your opponents; in short, honouring the ethos of the game under all circumstances," he pointed out.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}