Child Rights Week to champion inclusion, for every child through sports; Legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and Bollywood star Ayushmann Khurrana to be present at a symbolic futsal match on Child Rights for #Everychild in India

Sachin Tendulkar. 

Celebrated musician Ricky Kej composed music for children and performed with them.

Khel Today Bureau
New Delhi:  Child Rights Week is celebrated across the country from 14 November (National Children’s Day) to 20 November (World Children’s Day) – a flagship event celebrated through a host of activities emphasizing that all children, regardless of gender, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or socio-economic status are born with indelible rights, children deserve to be celebrated, included and protected especially those most marginalized and vulnerable.

This year’s World Children’s Day focuses on sports is as a powerful means to promote inclusion, equality and non-discrimination. Sports also help children develop important life skills such as leadership, discipline, teamwork, tolerance, hard work and cooperation.

On Wednesday 16 November, parliamentarians will engage with adolescents to discuss inclusion of and non-discrimination against children, highlighting the role of play in achieving physical and mental health. Lawmakers with children will deliberate on sports as a facilitator toward gender equality and inclusion. In the interaction, honourable MPs will interact with children and learn about their experiences, concerns, and aspirations and listen to stories on how sports helped them overcome their challenges.

On Friday, 18 November 2022, Sachin Tendulkar, Regional Ambassador for UNICEF South Asia, and Bollywood star Ayushmann Khurrana, UNICEF Celebrity Advocate, UNICEF India will be present at a symbolic futsal match, children from nine states will play to highlight sports for inclusion. Two-times Grammy Award-winner Ricky Kej will play with children specially composed music on the importance of equality and opportunity for children.

“World Children’s Day is UNICEF’s Global Day of Action for children, by children and with children. Sports promotes participation, breaks gender stereotypes and social barriers and is a powerful tool to inclusion and equality. Sports can play a catalytic role in changing social norms, providing a pathway for girls to realize their dreams and aspirations. This year, children will leverage the power of sports to highlight inclusion and non-discrimination for every child. We must work together to celebrate every child and to protect every girl and boy from all kinds of discrimination,” said Cynthia McCaffrey, UNICEF Representative to India.

Iconic buildings and monuments across the country along with streets and houses in villages will #GoBLue on 19 and 20 November for World Children’s Day in solidarity with child rights.  The Rashtrapati Bhawan (President House), Parliament Building, State Legislative Assembly buildings and iconic historical monuments across India will be illuminated in #GoBlue light. Also going blue is the Dhar village in Madhya Pradesh, and thousand village streets in Sarguja region, in Bastar region and in central region Chhattisgarh. The colour blue powerfully symbolizes the need for attention to rights for #EveryChild both in India and globally.

Article 31 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child recognizes every child’s right to rest, leisure, and play. Sport is important to a child’s physical and mental development, in building life skills, promoting inclusion and leadership.