The final of the ICC Champions Trophy will be dedicated to the highly successful HIV awareness campaign, THINK WISE, which is a partnership between the ICC, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Jan Beagle will attend the final at Edgbaston on Sunday. She will join ICC president Alan Isaac, chairman of England and Wales Cricket Board Giles Clarke, and two representatives of people living with HIV, and will walk out with the teams for the national anthems in solidarity of people around the globe living with HIV.
Over the past decade, the ICC has been promoting awareness for the AIDS epidemic, which led to the creation of the THINK WISE partnership in 2009 with UNICEF and UNAIDS.
The campaign has been profiled throughout 2013 through dedicated matches, site visits and coaching clinics with international players and other promotional activities.
During the final, both the finalists, as well as match officials, ICC and ECB staff, and cricketers will wear red ribbons to raise awareness about the stigma surrounding people living with HIV.
Beagle congratulated the ICC on its commitment to AIDS awareness: "I am moved to see the incredible dedication of the ICC and cricket players to promoting HIV prevention and reaching zero discrimination for people living with HIV. For a decade, UNAIDS and the ICC have been using cricket as an effective avenue to convey lifesaving messages and reach large numbers of people on key issues around AIDS."
"I would like to extend a warm welcome to Ms Beagle and it brings me great pleasure that the ICC's partnership with UNAIDS and UNICEF is flourishing.
"By walking out with Ms Beagle, Clarke, the two finalists, the match officials and representatives of people living with HIV, the ICC is sending a message to the world about the importance of getting the facts about HIV and stopping the stigma," said ICC president Alan Isaac.
Photograph: Michael Steele/Getty Images
