They may be rivals on the field of play, but Virender Sehwag and Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara have joined together to star in a new ‘Think Wise campaign’ launched by the ICC, educating people about HIV/AIDS and how to avoid contracting the disease.
The players feature in a public service announcement, encouraging young people to ‘get the facts, protect yourself’, as part of the ICC’s ‘Think Wise’ partnership with UNAIDS and UNICEF promoting HIV prevention, the game’s world body said in a release.
“The ICC Cricket World Cup provides an opportunity to use our profile as cricketers to deliver important social messages to the hundreds of millions of supporters who will be watching the tournament across the world,” said Sehwag.
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“I hope this public service announcement can encourage young people to get the facts and protect themselves from HIV.
While my main focus for this tournament is on helping India win the World Cup, I hope that a legacy of the event will be that more young people feel comfortable talking about their relationships and understand how to protect themselves against HIV,” added the Indian opener.
“As a ‘Think Wise’ champion and cricketer, I want to help educate young people on how to protect themselves from HIV. It is important that young people around the world have access to the right information to help them make informed decisions and break down stigma and discrimination.
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“Through this public service announcement, I want to help stop the spread of HIV and encourage young people to get the facts, talk openly, and protect them from HIV,” said Sangakkara.