By Muhammad Asif Noor

 

Winter Olympics is an opportunity for the world to build and give peace a chance. There should not be any politics in sports as these games are to learn to coexist and develop a shared future for mankind. Boycotting such international games by a few countries is not favorable, while the world is fighting gigantic challenges, including the pandemic and climate change. These were the voices of the speakers from across the globe speaking during the Webinar on "Beijing Winter Olympics: Voices from the Globe" hosted by the Friends of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Forum.

 

 

In her welcome remarks, Farhat Asif, Co-Founder of the Forum has highlighted the significance of the platform by sharing that the aim is to build understanding through dialogue and effective communications through various initiatives.

 

Ambassador Masood Khalid, former envoy of Pakistan to China while speaking on the occasion said that China deserves all accolades for hosting one of the most outstanding Olympics in the time of the pandemic. He emphasized that the games should not be politicized and those doing it are not supporting the cause of development and peace in the world. He said that sports offered an opportunity to unite nations and create world solidarity. Due to the presence of the world leaders at the inaugural ceremony, there was an opportunity to engage in meaningful bilateral exchanges. This has further cemented relations with other countries.

 

Song Ronghua, Founder of the Silk Road Cities Alliance said that sports keep the world healthy. Sports events like Winter Olympics allow people to unite, offer a common platform for athletes to build peace and synergy regardless of identity, language, and culture.

 

Professor Zhou Rong, Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China, said that the wide coverage of the Olympics through global media reflects the togetherness of the people from the world. China’s message is the way of hope, peace, and prosperity and for this, all nations should join hands with China to make the world a better place.

 

Sergey Sanakoev, President of the Asia-Pacific Research Center and Deputy Chairman of the Russian-Chinese Friendship Association, said that Olympic Games are ideal for diplomacy and the countries should avoid warmongering. In particular, he mentioned the ongoing issue on Ukraine and said that the Minsk Agreements should be applied in the true sense.

 

Indranandra Abeysekera, President of the Association for Sri Lanka-China Social and Cultural Cooperation, reiterated China's determination and will to build a shared future for all. Furthermore, he said that despite the Covid-19 pandemic, China has successfully hosted this important global event.

 

Crystal Huang, Deputy Director, China Association for Promoting UN Procurement (CAPUNP), believed that people will overcome the challenges together for a shared future, referring to the official theme song of the Olympics.

 

Dr. Nadia Helmy, Associate Professor of Political Science at Beni Suef University in Egypt, said that regardless of different political opinions, it could not be denied that the games had been a roaring success. The media has proved that the Beijing Winter Olympics has won global appreciation.