FRANCE: BOXING - Boxing champions Vitaly and Vladimir Klitschko were named 'UNESCO Champions for Sport' for their work to bring sport and education to poor children around the world

Record ID: 797572

  • Title: FRANCE: BOXING - Boxing champions Vitaly and Vladimir Klitschko were named 'UNESCO Champions for Sport' for their work to bring sport and education to poor children around the world
  • Date: 5th December 2006
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) IBF WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION VLADIMIR KLITSCHKO SAYING: "We've been working for the last five years for UNESCO project 'Education for Children in Need' in different countries and we saw how much help in especially those Third World countries kids need because children are the future. Without education they have no chance to get out of poverty, prostitution, drug abuse and crime"
  • Embargoed: 20th December 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: People,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA7VFZ200IQXGT1D5UOFQRDQQAQ
  • Story Text: Boxing champions Vitaly and Vladimir Klitschko were named 'UNESCO Champions for Sport' on Monday (December 4) for their work to bring sport and education to poor children around the world.
    The brothers won special praise for their work on aid projects in Namibia, Brazil and Romania.
    Former WBC heavyweight champion Vitaly and younger brother Vladimir, the IBF champion, were presented with the award by UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuurabe at the organisation's headquarters in Paris.
    UNESCO said it was honouring the brothers for "their exceptional success in the sport of boxing, their long-term commitment on behalf of the marginalised" and their support for agency programmes.
    Ukrainian First Lady Kateryna Yushchenko attended the event, along with many celebrities, politicians and athletes.
    The Klitschko brothers travelled to Namibia in August to promote educational activities for the children of the San community. In 2004 and 2005, they lent support to a UNESCO project in Romania. In 2002, they helped a project in Brazil. They have also created several foundations in Ukraine.
    "We've been working for the last five years for UNESCO project 'Education for Children in Need' in different countries and we saw how much help in especially those Third World countries kids need because children are the future. Without education they have no chance to get out of poverty, prostitution, drug abuse and crime," said Vladimir.
    Vitaly commented: "This title means a lot to us. It gives us a specific push to work even more. We've put in a lot of effort, time, our love for children, into this project and I think that this project is very important. We understand how important it is not only for UNESCO. This project is important for all of us, for all who connect for their best future -- we all deserve it -- and the best future around is our children."
    Before successfully defending his heavyweight crown against previously unbeaten Calvin Brock on November 11, Vladimir announced he would donate part of the revenue of ticket sales from that fight to the UNESCO project and on Monday, the brothers presented UNESCO with a cheque for 286,000 U.S. dollars.
    Other UNESCO Champions for Sport include Ukrainian pole vaulter Sergei Bubka; Russian hockey player Vyatcheslav Fetisov; and German Formula One champion Michael Schumacher. Brazilian soccer legend Pelé, has been a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador since 1994.
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