Bangladesh and Bermuda unite against Aids

Bangladesh Captain Habibul Bashar, left, and Bermuda Captain Irvine Romaine unite against Aids © 2007/UNICEF/villar

Ahead of their ICC Cricket World Cup fixture on Sunday, players from Bangladesh and Bermuda yesterday visited a school in Trinidad as part of the ICC's partnership with UNAIDS and UNICEF.

The players visited the Aranguez Government Secondary School, outside the Trinidadian capital Port of Spain, and saw a HIV awareness-raising programme, organised by the Trinidad and Tobago Alliance for Sports and Physical Education.

Accompanied by the Director of UNAIDS Caribbean Regional Support Team, Dr Karen Sealey, and UNICEF Special Envoy to the Caribbean, Karin Sham Poo, the cricketers were welcomed to the school by the Principal, Patricia Adams. "The school has a vibrant abstinence club", she said, "and a group called TRIM (The Responsibility Is Mine) that promotes healthy lifestyles among adolescents".

TRIM member, Michelle Bullen explained that meeting the cricketers was a good opportunity, helping them to gain more knowledge and be able to make more informed choices.

Janeiro Tucker looks on as Lionel Cann bowls a ball as part of the "Kicking AIDS Out" initiative © 2007/UNICEF/villar

Dr Sealey told the school that "HIV is everybody's business. We need to make sure that children are at the heart of every strategy to combat HIV ... we have to bowl out HIV and stump out stigma and discrimination." Karin Sham Poo spoke of the need to make the next generation AIDS-free.

Exchanging bands of commitment to fight stigma and discrimination, students and players swore to protect each other from HIV and AIDS. Habibul Bashar and Shahriar Nafees, Captain and Vice Captain of the Bangladesh team, said they were committed to the fight against HIV/AIDS.

"It is a wonderful world out there, and we need you alive." Bashar said. Bermudan player Lionel Cann, on behalf of his colleagues, told the students that in the sport of cricket it is okay to play hard, but you must protect yourself. "Educate yourself, you are the future, without you the world is nothing", he said.

Later the cricketers joined the students at the TTASPE sports circuit, showing how to bowl out AIDS and how to kick out HIV. Supported by the other members of the Bermuda team, Lionel Cann helped students with their cricket technique, making sure the lessons learned would stay with them. "This is fun, man," he said. "This is a good thing to do".

Given the chance to bowl some questions at the Bermudan team, one student asked "If one of your team members was HIV positive, how would you react?" Captain Irvine Romaine answered "it would make no difference to us". Lionel Cann added, "I would tell that person they could be anything they wanted to be - this would not be a problem for us."