Indiantelevision.com Team

(31 May 2007 3:30 pm)

MUMBAI: International humanitarian organization Right To Play, the Adi Dassler Fund and international football star Zinedine Zidane have joined forces to launch a global initiative to raise funding for Right To Play programs around the world.

In doing this, they will raise awareness of sport as a tool for addressing critical development issues, like the lack of basic education and health information and the impact of conflict.

Replica mini red balls will be on sale at adidas stores worldwide with all of the proceeds going back to Right To Play programs. The awareness initiative is primarily being driven by the thousands of retail employees at adidas stores who have been trained as Right To Play ambassadors and through the stores themselves, which are being transformed to showcase the work that Right To Play is doing in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, states an official release.

The Adi Dassler Fund will also provide 100,000 full size red balls for use in the more than 20 countries where Right To Play runs programs. Zidane will travel to one of these countries over the course of the next year to participate in Right To Play programs and lend his voice to the movement.

Starting on 1 June these balls will be available for sale in all adidas stores in Europe and the US and on adidas.com and RightToPlay.com in select countries. The initiative continues in Asia, Middle East and South Africa on 1 September. The balls retail for five Euros or 10 USD.

"We are thrilled about this new partnership with adidas and their commitment to supporting our programs that use sport and play to improve health, build life skills and foster peace for children and communities affected by war, poverty and disease," explained Right To Play president and CEO Johann Olav Koss. "Sport for Development is still a relatively new area in terms of global recognition, but with adidas and Zidane on board we will encourage people everywhere to join this important movement."

"I know firsthand the positive impact sport can have on your life and the skills and values sport can teach like leadership, team work, confidence and perseverance," explained Zidane. "Together with Right To Play and the Adi Dassler Fund, I hope to have the opportunity to share my love of sports with children around the world and to help them grow and learn through the power of sport and play."

The Adi Dassler Fund, a non-profit organization which receives its funding from the adidas brand, has signed a four year commitment to Right To Play and has asked Zinedine Zidane to join as a key driver of the initiative around the globe. Zidane, who retired from international competition last year, is devoting much of his time now to working with children.