Dr. Yunus to be torchbearer at Rio Olympic opening

Nobel Peace Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus has been selected to be the Olympic Torchbearer for the Rio Olympic Games 2016.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach chose Yunus to join the mission of spreading the spirit of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games throughout the world, said a media statement issued by Yunus Centre.

The Rio Olympic Torch relay began with the traditional Olympic flame lighting ceremony in the Greek city of Olympia, birthplace of the ancient Olympic Games, on April 21 this year.

In Brazil, the Torch Relay started in the Brazilian capital of Brasília on May 3.

After travelling more than 300 cities, the relay will end on Thursday when the opening ceremony of the games take place at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio.

Yunus will bear the Olympic torch at the final leg of the relay on Wednesday.

He will also address the International Olympic Committee (IOC), attended by representatives of the national Olympic Committees from around the world, in Rio today, and will speak on ‘Athletics, Social Business and SDGs – the New Vision of the World’.

Yunus will be jointly working with the IOC to develop a social dimension to the athletics and the sports world, right from the grassroots level to the global level. This will include all IOC events, venues and organisations to participate and create social businesses to address human problems around them.

Rio Olympic Games is the 31st edition of the modern day Olympic Games, where 42 different sports will be played.

Yunus will be in Brazil until August 9.