Islamabad: Pakistani education activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai’s inspiring speech at the Commonwealth Games 2022 opening ceremony has received tremendous warmth and admiration from people around the world and especially Pakistanis back home.
The glitzy inauguration ceremony of the Commonwealth Games 2022 was opened by Prince Charles on behalf of Queen Elizabeth.
Malala Yousafzai, who now calls the city of Birmingham her home, received a rousing welcome at the opening ceremony in Birmingham on Thursday.
In her speech, she praised the doctors, and nurses at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital where she received medical treatment after surviving a Taliban assassination attempt in 2012. Malala also thanked the teachers of Birmingham who inspired her at school and helped her mother learn English. She said Birmingham is where she made lifelong friends and connected with families from Zimbabwe, Hong Kong, Pakistan and beyond.
“Tonight teams from 72 countries and territories join the people of Birmingham to celebrate friendship across borders. The young athletes who will compete over the next few weeks represent millions of girls and boys across the Commonwealth, our shared hope for the future. A future where every child can go to school, where women are free to participate in society, where families can live in peace and in dignity,” said Malala who belongs to Swat valley of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan.
The 25-year-old Nobel Prize laureate’s crisp and powerful speech received thunderous applause and rousing cheers from the audience in the stadium.
“Over the next two weeks when we watch the incredible athletes of the Commonwealth Games, remember that every child deserves the chance to reach her full potential and pursue her wildest dreams.” Over the next 11 days, more than 5,000 athletes from 72 nations will compete in 280 events across 19 sports in the Commonwealth games
Pakistanis praise Malala’s speech
Thrilled Pakistanis took to Twitter to share how proud they feel after listening to Malala’s speech. “Seeing Malala in traditional Pakistani dress at a global forum giving a speech and receiving massive applause was amazing. She represented Pakistan as well as the incredible young women of this country” said Salma Khan, an Islamabad-based school teacher.
“What a proud moment for Pakistan. Malala on stage at the opening ceremony of Commonwealth Games to welcome all the athletes from around the world,” said Pakistani sports journalist Faizan Lakhani.
“Malala represents the very best of Pakistan. Resistance, grit, and optimism in the face of extreme distress. A deserving role model for a country whose median age is 24,” Uzair Younus, director of the Pakistan Initiative at the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Centre, said on Twitter.
Pakistan is participating in the Commonwealth Games with a 103-member contingent. Pakistani athletes will take part in swimming, athletics, para-athletics, badminton, boxing, women’s T20 cricket, gymnastics, hockey, judo, squash, table tennis, weightlifting and wrestling.
