Cricketers sign on to AIDS campaign in Guyana

© UNICEF/2007/Lepps

Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan signs the AIDS campaign banner at the Pegasus Hotel in Georgetown, Guyana, as First Lady Varshnie Jagdeo looks on.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, 10 April 2007 – While in Guyana for the Super 8 stage of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 over the past two weeks, most of the competing cricket teams stayed at the Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel in Georgetown. While there, many celebrated cricketers made a very public display of their commitment to the fight against HIV and AIDS.

They did so by literally signing on to the Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS global campaign – or to be more exact, by autographing an AIDS campaign banner in the hotel lobby.

Encouraged by the presence of Guyana’s First Lady, Varshnie Jagdeo, many of the sportsmen added their names to the oversized poster, which was already crowded with signatures.

Players and officials show support

West Indian cricket stars Dwayne Bravo and Ramnaresh Sarwan were joined by two top Sri Lankan players, wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara and spin bowler Muttiah Muralitharan, in endorsing the AIDS prevention initiative. Then the First Lady added her name to the banner, alongside that of her husband, Guyana’s President Bharat Jagdeo.

Throughout the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, many of the world’s leading cricketers, umpires and match referees have been taking part in visits across the Caribbean to see facilities linked to HIV/AIDS education and to show their support for HIV awareness-raising programmes.

These visits – including the support shown by the cricketers in Guyana – have been organized as part of the alliance between the International Cricket Council, UNAIDS, UNICEF and the Caribbean Broadcast Media Partnership on HIV/AIDS to highlight the situation of children and young people affected by HIV.

© UNICEF/2007/Lepps

West Indies cricketer Ramnaresh Sarwan signs the oversized AIDS campaign poster at the Pegasus Hotel.