Pelé sends video message to Hasina seeking support to launch Earth Cup

Football legend Pelé has sent a video message to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urging her to join his initiative, a tournament, to fight the devastating climate impacts causing havoc across the world.

In the message, the most recognisable celebrity of the game and his country Brazil, Pelé says they should work together for everyone’s good.

He has also expressed hopes to see her soon, wishing Hasina good luck and saying it will be “very nice” if they can work together.   

“Hello Prime Minister Hasina. Good luck to you. I call you because I want to tell you it would be very nice if we could work together. I think it is good for everyone. Ok! See you soon,” Pelé is heard saying in the video.

A screengrab of Pelé's video message to Sheikh Hasina

Pelé Foundation’s Special Representative Saiful Amin Bhuiyan now wants to meet Hasina and himself hand her the video message, and a letter earlier sent to the prime minister.

Bhuiyan, a Bangladeshi expatriate living in Canada, is now in London where Hasina is currently staying for treatment.

Pelé wrote the letter and sent the video message because he is amazed by Hasina’s efforts in tackling the effects of climate change and the movement to save the earth, Bhuiyan said.

Bhuiyan also said as a Bangladeshi, he would be very glad to have the country in Pelé Earth Cup – a Pelé Initiative for Climate Action and World Peace – to “galvanize and unify 3.5 billion football fans… and create the largest voice for climate defence in the coming decades”.

Football legend Pelé with Special Representative Saiful Amin Bhuiyan, at his São Paulo home in this undated photo. Credit: Pelé Foundation

“We belong to planet Earth, Earth does not belong to us!” the three-time World Cup winner had written in

the letter sent on Mar 26

.

“I wish you join hands with me in the Pelé Initiative for Climate Action and World Peace by harnessing the power of soccer as the most powerful unifying force for solidarity, harmony, fraternity and peace in an increasingly divided and alienated world,” the football great had added.

Bangladesh is at the forefront of climate change adaptation and mitigating the adverse impacts of climate change.

The 78-year old Pelé has played a significant role to promote pressing social causes and helped save lives and improve the health of millions of children in Brazil.

lé has also helped promote global causes such as ecology and environment, sports and development and peaceful resolution of conflicts as goodwill ambassador for the UN, UNESCO and UNICEF.