Prof. Muhammad Yunus: Sport as a force that unites society

Professor Muhammad Yunus founded the Grameen Bank in the 1980s, with which he provides microloans to the poorest people in Bangladesh - and thus helps them out of poverty. In 2006, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for this social commitment, among other things.

As an ISPO partner, Yunus sees sport as an important force for social solidarity. "Do we really want to go back to the way the world used to be? That world was terrible. It would be suicide. There is no way back"warned the 2006 Nobel Prize winner. Instead, we need ideas for radical changes for a world without unemployment, social injustice or environmental pollution.

What can everyone do to help? According to Yunus, people and the economy are suffering in the current world situation anyway. "But then shouldn't we be suffering for the next generation and a better future, rather than for a world as it was before?"

For Yunus, sport is "a very, very essential component for a better world". How can this work? "Sport is like a pyramid"explains Yunus: the top athletes are at the top, below them are the millions of recreational athletes who look up to the world-class athletes. It is precisely this role model function that professionals and those responsible must become aware of: "When athletes say that they don't want to go back to the old world, people will listen to them. They are role models!"