Egypt calls for creation of a fund to support athletes amid COVID-19 pandemic

Hani Abu Rida, Member of the FIFA Council and CAF Executive Committee, Hany Abo Rida,called for the creation of a fund to support athletes, in times of crises and disasters, facing them from the threat of the Coronavirus.

Abu Rida requested that the Sports Disaster Control Fund be derived from the 'Long Live Egypt' Fund under the full supervision of Dr. Ashraf Sobhi, Minister of Youth and Sports, to contribute to alleviating the burdens on all workers in the sports field, and raising the burdens of negative economic impacts on the category of athletes from the state.

Abu Reeda said that what the whole world is going through is exceptional, and he called on all groups to join hands, unite, and reject differences and intolerance aside, in order to completely abstract the sincere attempt to help and support those affected in the sports field from this crisis.

On the other hand, Abo Rida strongly rejected the racist call of two French doctors who suggested to test potential coronavirus vaccines in Africa.

Abo Rida stated that he was shocked by the call, which goes against all human rights norms, and affirmed his complete rejection of all forms of racism and racial discrimination.

Abo Rida affirmed that FIFA and CAF as well as the Charter of the United Nations stand against all forms of discrimination and he demanded apology for Africa and its people on this unacceptable insult.

Jean Paul Mira, head of the resuscitation service at the Hospital Cochin in Paris, and Camille Locht, director of research at the Inserm, the French health and medical research institute suggested conducting clinical trials in Africa to study and combat coronavirus during their talk at The French television station LCI.