UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake (centre) addresses an audience of 75 schoolchildren at the FC Barcelona stadium, 10 May 2012. © UNICEF/Spain

75 schoolchildren, Ramon Pont, Vice President of the FC Barcelona Foundation, Anthony Lake, the Executive Director of UNICEF, and Marc Bartra, FC Barcelona player met to discuss the importance of sport in children’s lives.

“FC Barcelona is highly committed to work with UNICEF to advance the global message of the importance of children’s issues and to promote education and sport,” said Ramon Pont, Vice President of the FC Barcelona Foundation.

UNICEF recognizes the critical role of sport and physical play in children’s lives. Participation by young people in sport and play contributes to their physical development and can teach basic values and life skills, such as discipline, leadership, teamwork, fairness and respect for others. Sport and play can also help fight discrimination and the exclusion of marginalized groups, including children with disabilities.

“All UNICEF team is delighted with its partnership with FC Barcelona. Through this partnership UNICEF and FC Barcelona are committed to provide millions of children the opportunity to receive an education and experience the happiness of sports, and learn positive values through physical education, sport and play,” said Anthony Lake, UNICEF Executive Director, in his first visit to FCB headquarters.

Marc Bartra, together with Ramon Pont and Anthony Lake, responded to questions from school children from Barcelona. The children asked questions about UNICEF, children in other countries, football and about why is FCB partnering with UNICEF.

FCB contributes a total of Euro 1.5 million per year to support UNICEF’s work with the aim to reach millions of children in 16,000 schools in four countries: Brazil, China, Ghana and South Africa. Over 5,000 teachers and coaches are planned to be trained, and sport and sport values will be integrated in school programmes. Schools will also be provided with sports supplies and improved infrastructure for physical education, sport and play programmes.

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For further information, please contact:

Sarah Crowe, Spokesperson for the UNICEF Executive Director, tel: +1 212 326-7206, scrowe(at)unicef.org

Jeremy Hartley, Chief Communication, UNICEF Private Fundraising and Partnerships, tel: +41 79 559 71 72, jhartley(at)unicef.org

Dailo Allí, Media Manager, UNICEF Spain, tel: +34 609 160 051, dailo.alli(at)unicef.es

Marc Parramon, Communications FCB Foundation, tel: + 34 696 863 845, marc.parramon(at)fcbarcelona.cat

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