Address at the Closing Ceremony of the First Afro-Asian Games

SPORTS: A UNIFYING SPIRIT

I am delighted to be here in this sprawling Balayogi Stadium to participate in the closing ceremony of the first Afro-Asian Games which commenced on 24th October 2003. When I see thousands of sportspersons assembled here, I realize they have come from large number of countries and represent more than half of the population of this planet. When youth and dynamic action are combined through sports, I am sure these sportspersons will electrify the continents by their creativity and innovation and above all by their sweat and excellent performance. The combined power of the youth ignited by the spirit of sportsmanship will be the most powerful resource of all resources on the earth, above the earth and under the earth.

I appreciate the excellent spirit of the Government and people of Andhra Pradesh who have been the gracious hosts for this great event and made all the participants feel at home at Hyderabad. I would like to congratulate all the organizers for providing a platform and making excellent arrangements to conduct this mega event with clockwork precision. I also commend the efforts and contribution of the parents, teachers, coaches and various agencies in motivating the sportspersons to reach the heights of their performance and for providing an environment of encouragement and adequate challenge. Particularly, I would like to greet Shri Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and Shri Suresh Kalmadi, Working Chairmen of First Afro-Asian Games Organizing Committee for providing the vision and leadership for successful conduct of this event.

Different ideas, value systems and ways of living are amalgamating to create a new world. In this new global community, the human spirit will rule over the management of the mind. Amidst sportspersons from Africa and Asia, a gathering that has happened for the first time in the history, I can feel the arrival of a new emerging world order. Recently, I visited Sudan which is entering into a peace era engulfed in the background of Niles. There are apparent hardships and problems of development but there is human will and grit in abundance. I also saw the vision of leaders of Asian countries, fructifying in converting the desert region to a livable land. Simple people, living in the vast continents of Africa and Asia, have preserved the seeds of basic human nature that the Almighty created in His own image.

The sportspersons who participated in this Afro-Asian Games gave spectacular performance in their events, created happiness for themselves, to the fellow sportspersons, to the country, to the continent and to the entire world. All of you collectively have enriched our life. When you were toiling hard to bring laurels to your countries, the whole world was watching with interest to see how the sportspersons are putting their best to excel in their fields and create new records. While I congratulate all the medal winners, I also appreciate the performance of all the participants who have put their best to improve their performance and generated a spirit of healthy competition.

With the experience of national games and followed by First Afro-Asian Games we are graduating to meet the bigger sports challenges for conducting Common Wealth and Olympic Games in India. The experience of Afro-Asian games what we have witnessed definitely will provide the capability for all of you to compete with confidence and win medals at the Olympics. I wish that every Afro-Asian must make an entry in the medals tally in the Olympics.

I would say, ?If at all in human life there is any aspect that can enrich the mind, body and spirit in an integrated way, it is sports and games.? I am sure all the participants will return with sweet memories of this event and will propagate the unifying spirit of universal harmony and brotherhood. May God Bless you in all your endeavours.

'I now declare the First Afro-Asian Games closed.'