Sindhu among athletes that call on world leaders to ensure access to vaccines

Olympians and Paralympians from across the world including Indias twotime Olympic medallist shuttler PV Sindhu have called on the world leaders to ensure equitable access to Covid19 vaccinesIn a video produced by the International Olympic Committee IOC athletes called on world leaders and decisionmakers to ensure free and equitable access to Covid19 vaccines The call comes a few weeks before the start of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 which will take place from February 420Launched by the International Olympic Committee on Tuesday the video features more than 20 Olympians and Paralympians from all corners of the worldThese include Olympic champions Federica Pellegrini swimming Italy and Seungmin Ryu table tennis South Korea threetime Olympic medallist Pau Gasol basketball Spain twotime Olympic medallist Maja Martyna Wloszczowska cycling Poland and Humphrey Kayange rugby Kenya who are all members of the IOC Atletes CommissionMany other Olympic and Paralympic champions are also included Olympic champions Valerie Adams athletics New Zealand Alistair Brownlee triathlon UK Osea Kolinisau rugby Fiji Gianmarco Tamberi athletics Italy and IOC President Thomas Bach fencing Paralympic champions Martina Caironi athletics Italy Ellie Cole swimming Australia Jakub Krako Alpine skiing Slovakia Tatyana McFadden athletics Nordic skiing USA Jitske Visser wheelchair basketball The Netherlands and Annika Zeyen cycling GermanyOther athletes featured are Olympic medallists Danka Bartekova shooting Slovakia PV Sindhu badminton India and Luiza Zlotkowska speed skating Poland Olympians Gaby Ahrens shooting Namibia Jonathan Borleacutee athletics Belgium Uche Eke gymnastic Nigeria AnnChristin Goliaszlig sailing Germany Alex Hua Tian equestrian China Niluka Karunaratne badminton Sri Lanka Silvia Mittermuumlller snowboarding Germany Alexi Pappas athletics Greece Akiko Thomson swimming Philippines and Gabriela Trana athletics Costa Rica the IOC informed in a releaseIn their message the athletes stressed the importance of staying united to continue to fight the pandemic effectively As athletes we can bring the world together through the power of sport Now more than ever we stand united to use that power of sport and the Olympic and Paralympic Movement to help win the battle against COVID because we go faster we aim higher we are stronger when we stand togetherThey continue We have been given a way forward with a safe and effective vaccine that can help save precious lives and protect our friendshellip and our families So we call on governments foundations philanthropists health organisations and social businesses to join hands in giving free and equal access to the vaccine for everybody across the world to pledge our collective responsibility to protect those who are the most vulnerable because everyone on this planet has a right to live a healthy life We are stronger together when we stand in solidarity and care for each otherDr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus DirectorGeneral of the World Health Organization has been joined by world leaders in calling for 70 percent of the populations of all countries to be vaccinated by the start of July 2022 in order to end the acute phase of the pandemicThis is an effort by the IOC to involve the worlds top sportspersons to motivate the world leaders to ensure that vaccine is available to everyoneThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever