by Faizan Lakhani
Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has joined FIFA and World Health Organisation (WHO) in support of their #BeActive campaign, launched to encourage people to be #HealthyAtHome as world fights against the COVID-19 pandemic.
FIFA’s campaign features players from clubs that are fierce rivals but are coming together to follow and proliferate guidelines for staying active at home during the global lockdown.
Following the FIFA and WHO guidelines, the PFF has released the video featuring Pakistan women’s national team defender Malika-e-Noor and goalkeeper Mahpara Shahid urging people across the country to stay active during the ongoing lockdown.
Malika and Mahpara, who are captains of rival Army and Wapda domestically, said that even rivals have to “come together in these tough times”.
“At this time, even rivals need to stand united. We have to keep our distance, but we do not lose our focus. We can show solidarity by being active, and active means following the guidelines from the WHO,” the players stated in the video released by the PFF.
The WHO recommends all healthy adults do at least 30 minutes a day of physical activity and children at least 60 minutes per day.
The campaign gives the following suggestions along with any other forms of recreation to stay healthy at home:
- Taking some online exercise classes,
- Dancing,
- Playing active video games,
- Jumping rope, and
- Practicing muscle strength and balance training.
Several major football clubs, including Real Madrid CF, FC Barcelona, Liverpool FC, Manchester United, Mohun Bagan AC and East Bengal FC, have already joined FIFA and WHO’s campaigns.
Manizeh Zainli, the secretary-general of PFF’s normalization committee, said that “the PFF is working to bring forth a better, brighter future, a place where we can all compete again in a healthy way.”
“I believe these are arduous times for all of us and it surely is hard to stay at home and follow a healthy routine. With the #BeActive campaign in collaboration with WHO and FIFA, Pakistan Football Federation is working to bring forth a better, brighter future, a place where we can all compete again in a healthy way, without impeding our growth any further. We are all in this fight together.” she said.