By Md. Kamruzzaman

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA): Nobel Peace Laureate and entrepreneur Muhammad Yunus was awarded the Olympic Laurel on Friday during the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020 in Japan.

It is the highest award presented by the International Olympic Committee and the lone Bangladeshi Nobel Laureate was the second person to be so honored in the history of the Games.

Yunus said the award was “so special” for him. “I am honoured and overwhelmed to receive this Olympic Laurel. And so sad I can’t be there with you,” he said.

Praising the role of IOC to take the social dimension of sports very seriously, he urged athletes across the world to “provide the leadership in transforming this world.”

He drew attention to the athletes for their roles in creating a “world of three zeros” — zero net carbon emission, zero wealth concentration to end poverty and zero unemployment by unleashing the power of entrepreneurship in everyone.

Yunus wished the IOC well on its mission to help transform the planet into a more peaceful world through sport.

Yunus was awarded for his extensive work in sport for development, including founding the Yunus Sports Hub, a global social business network that creates solutions through sport. He has collaborated with the IOC on several projects, including educational elements of the IOC Young Leaders Programme, the “Imagine” Peace Youth Camp and the Athlete365 Business Accelerator – the first comprehensive entrepreneurship programme to help Olympians with career transition.

Yunus, a Bangladeshi banker who was awarded his Nobel in 2006 for pioneering micro-credit loans to impoverished people, has worked with the International Olympic Committee on a business program for athletes.

The first-ever Olympic Laurel was awarded to Kenyan Olympian and social changemaker Kip Keino on Aug. 5, 2016.

Additional report by The Muslim News

[Photo: Muhammad Yunus awarded Olympic Laurel during opening ceremony of Tokyo Olympics Games 2020 on 23 July 2021. Photo: Muhammad Yunus Twitter and Facebook. Photographer: Deena Yunus/Yunus Centre)