Ivorian legend Didier Drogba is vice-president of Monaco-based Peace and Sport. In an interview with monaco matin, he talks about why he's committed to the quest for peace."Because I'm convinced of the power of sport in social phenomena and in resolving conflicts and promoting peace with good will and fair play. By promoting peace through sport, we can reach a wider target and achieve interesting results.
To the question of how sportsmen and women can have an impact on world peace? He answers: "It's very simple. It has to be natural. In my case, we qualified for the World Cup in 2005 and things just happened naturally. I spoke up, expressed myself and said what I felt. I spoke from the heart, and it had a hugely positive impact on the country in the months that followed. It's not something you can premeditate. The greatest impact is when things happen naturally. Of course, if you can dress it up and make a well-prepared message, the impact is just as great."
He admits that the Ivorian conflict played a role in his commitment. "It's true that it played a decisive role in what I've become, but I think it's also the different conflicts I've experienced in Africa and all over the world that have raised my awareness. It's hard for me to understand how someone can pick up a gun and kill another person...".
This conflict, he confides, has had a particular impact on him: "From near and far, because I have friends who have been affected. My parents were affected too. These are not funny moments. When you experience them, you realize how precious peace is, and how it hangs by a very thin thread."
🙌@didierdrogba, Peace and Sport vice-president, highliting the role as models of athletes during the International Dialogue coorganized by Peace and Sport and @UNESCO « Athletes Game On For Peace »#WhiteCard pic.twitter.com/hCV9W4Oq5V
— Peace and Sport (@peaceandsport) April 5, 2024
