By Aamit Khanna
INITIATIVE The Touch of Hope Foundation uses football to spread the word on HIV/AIDS
“Yes, we can,” says Hope Team, one of the 14 teams that set out to spread the message of hope and HIV/AIDS awareness through a three-day football tournament in the city. The tournament was kicked off recently with teams from the embassies of Denmark, China, Spain, France, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, the Netherlands and Israel, besides the High Commission of the Republic of Botswana and Tanzania along with Hope Team and Team India.
Organised for the third year, The United Cup is an initiative of Football4Hope. Committed to promoting health, healing and hope through community participation in sports, Football4Hope was established in 2010 when The Touch of Hope Foundation joined hands with New Delhi United Football Club. Since then the initiative has been instrumental in vigorously spreading public health awareness on HIV and AIDS.
Participating for the first time, Hope Team won three out of a total of six matches played during the tournament. “HIV is not a death sentence. A positive lifestyle and medical support can ensure a better quality of life for those who know their HIV status. And, of course, we need the support of our family and friends. As a team we fight the odds together,” says Loon Gangte, captain of the Hope Team. Gangte tested positive 10 years ago and is an active voice in the fight against HIV. President of the Delhi Network of Positive People, he is also the Asia region coordinator of the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition that works on securing universal access to affordable medication for people living with HIV.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the first case of HIV/AIDS that was reported in the world. Over three decades the numbers have grown and today India faces the challenge to spread awareness to curb the epidemic and care for those who are already positive. Globally, and specifically in India, progress has been made in curtailing the spread, and the treatment programme has been immensely successful. Over 4.8 lakh people living with HIV/AIDS are on the road to a better quality of life through anti-retroviral treatment. “People still do not know their HIV status and by the time they find out the body will not have the strength to fight the virus anymore. People like me do not disclose our status because we fear we will be discriminated against,” adds another Hope Team member, on medication for almost a decade, one of the 0.2 per cent from an estimated 2.4 million infected population in the country that are on ARTs.
Dr. Chinkholal Thangsing of The Touch of Hope Foundation says, “India is a country with the third largest population of people living with HIV/AIDS. HIV is still an emergency, which needs a constant, sustained, persistent campaign to reduce and reverse the epidemic.” A veteran in the field of humanitarian work in the field of HIV/AIDS and public health, Dr. Thangsing is the recipient of the prestigious Royal Order of Sahametrei awarded by the Government of Cambodia and the Karmaveer Purushkaar by the Indian Confederation of NGOs in recognition of his commitment to serving people with HIV.
In a keenly contested final, the Tanzanian team stopped Botswana 2-1 to lift the SABMiller India United Cup 2012. “The team played well and I am happy we could win the title this year,” says Roy, captain of the Tanzanian team. The Saudi Arabia team secured third place after defeating Team India. “The tournament has once again been a successful event and now we are gearing up to establish the Centre of Hope in New Delhi. The Centre will bring together highly dedicated professionals to offer compassionate care services for those living with HIV/AIDS,” says Haroon James, Co-Founder, Football4Hope.
Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/article3391814.ece
