ESPN and Kwesé support Special Olympics Zambia for National Games Ahead of Abu Dhabi 2019
Special Olympics continues to open doors and promote inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities
LUSAKA, ZAMBIA — 7 June, 2018 — ESPN in partnership with Kwesé, is supporting Special Olympics Zambia leading up to their National Games at the Olympic Youth Development Centre in Lusaka from 9–10 June, 2018. This event, held in cooperation with the Zambian Ministry of General Education, will see athletes from 10 provinces compete for their place on the global stage at the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Abu Dhabi, 14–21 March 2019.
The pan-African premium sports and entertainment broadcaster Kwesé TV, entered into a long term, exclusive partnership with ESPN, to bring quality premium programming to sports fans across Africa, as well as to curate ground-breaking content tailor made for the continent.
“To further expand our partnership’s local involvement, ESPN and Kwesé are not only making a financial injection into the organisation, but will also curate content from the National Games to form part and parcel of our programme schedule,” said Joseph Hundah, President and CEO Econet Media.
“This is a collaboration we are particularly proud of because it shines a spotlight on inspiring organisations such as Special Olympics, who continue to open doors and promote inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities”
“We are excited about the upcoming Special Olympics Zambia National Games and proud to be collaborating with Kwesé and Special Olympics to raise awareness and demonstrate the power of inclusion and acceptance,” said ESPN, Vice President, Corporate Citizenship, Kevin Martinez.
During the 2018 Special Olympics Zambia National Games weekend, more than 500 athletes and Unified partners will compete in front of over 200 spectators and esteemed guests. For the first time in the history of the games, all 10 provinces are being funded to travel and participate through the support of the Ministry of General Education.
Special Olympics Zambia and the Government of Zambia will work together to promote the development of Special Olympics programs that strive towards creating continuous opportunities and empowerment for people with intellectual disabilities, leading to a more inclusive society for all.
“Our responsibility is to ensure that people with intellectual disabilities, who are in most instances hidden away and mistreated, are respected and included in our local communities. To be a part of all of us, and receive the respect and freedom we all enjoy,” explained Charles Nyambe, President and Managing Director of Special Olympics Africa Region. “We can effectively initiate the inclusion process through events like this. Showcasing the abilities to their communities is the first step in reversing stereotypes and stopping mistreatment.”
“This is the message we are sending: a message of inclusion,” continued Nyambe. “We do this for the simple reason that the majority of people with intellectual disabilities globally are excluded. We will use as many events and activities as we can to tell the world that they too are just like every citizen, and they deserve to be treated in the same way everyone else is, unconditionally.”
In September 2017, Her Excellency Mrs. Esther Lungu was unveiled as the Special Olympics 50th Anniversary Champion for Africa Region. Since 1968, Special Olympics has been changing attitudes about the talents of people with intellectual disabilities. Starting this July, Special Olympics is celebrating 50 years of creating a more inclusive, welcoming world for all. She will be a guest of honour at the upcoming National Games.
Healthy Athletes screenings will also be available free of charge to all athletes participating in the National Games.
ESPN and Special Olympics
ESPN is proud of its relationship with Special Olympics, which spans more than 32 years. Over the past four years, ESPN has continued to deepen its relationship with the Special Olympics movement and in addition to being the Official Broadcaster for the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games in Seattle. It will also celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Special Olympics in the year ahead in addition to being the Official Media Partner of the 2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games, hosted in Abu Dhabi.
ESPN believes that, at its very best, sports uplifts the human spirit. Its corporate citizenship programs use the power of sport to positively address society’s most pressing needs through strategic community investments, cause marketing programs, collaboration with sports organizations and employee volunteerism, while also utilizing its diverse media assets. For more information go to www.espn.com/citizenship.
About Kwesé TV
Kwesé is a Pan-African entertainment company, the newest kid on the block redefining TV in Africa. Premised on the concept of TV everywhere and anywhere, Kwesé is revolutionising the media industry on the continent by catering to the changing needs of today’s globally connected African viewer. This fresh new television brand is part of the Econet Media stable, a subsidiary company of the globally networked Econet Group founded by Executive Chairman Strive Masiyiwa.
Kwesé aims to change the face of African broadcasting by providing premium, affordable, exclusive viewing choices, that include sports, music, movies, series, kids, lifestyle, faith, news programming and so much more. Kwesé prides itself in being innovative and disrupting the current media landscape in Africa, offering the very best in local and international content. Kwesé’s product offering is available on satellite and internet based platforms, including video-on-demand and mobile options. African consumers also benefit from the infrastructural strength of Econet Media sister companies, Liquid Telecom and Econet Wireless. Their expertise and capacity in the areas of mobile and fixed telephony services, broadband, internet, satellite and fibre optic networks have been utilized to establish Kwesé products. Visit www.kwese.com for more information.
About Kwesé Sports
Kwesé Sports is Econet Media’s exclusive sports content platform available on the Kwesé TV network. Through Econet Media’s pan-African presence, Kwesé Sports is accessible in a growing number of countries across Sub-Saharan Africa offering the very best in international and African sports. Kwesé Sports is the home of premium sports programming bringing the world’s leading sporting formats and leagues to the continent. Kwesé Sports holds rights to some of the most popular sporting leagues such as the NBA, various FIFA tournaments and leagues, NFL, Copa del Rey and so much more. Kwesé is also the exclusive home of ESPN offering a 24 hours of comprehensive sports coverage.
Through Kwesé TV’s multiplatform offering Kwesé Sports fans can access up to the minute sports news, updates and analysis on the go on Kwesé and ESPN’s collaborative digital and mobile platforms KweseESPN.com and the KweseESPN app. For more information on Kwesé Sports Visit www.kwese.espn.com.
About Special Olympics
Special Olympics is a global inclusion movement using sport, health, education and leadership programs every day around the world to end discrimination against and empower people with intellectual disabilities. Founded in 1968, and celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year, the Special Olympics movement has grown to more than 5 million athletes and Unified partners in more than 170 countries. With the support of more than 1 million coaches and volunteers, Special Olympics delivers 32 Olympic-type sports and over 108,000 games and competitions throughout the year. Special Olympics is supported by individuals, foundations and partners, including the Christmas Records Trust, the Law Enforcement Torch Run® for Special Olympics, The Coca-Cola Company, United Airlines, The Walt Disney Company and ESPN, Microsoft, Lions Clubs International, Bank of America, Essilor Vision Foundation, the Golisano Foundation, Safilo Group, and TOYOTA. Click here for a full list of partners. Engage with us on: Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and our blog on Medium.
Special Olympics Africa Region is one of the seven regions of Special Olympics. It works closely with its 23 accredited Programs, Special Olympics Benin, Special Olympics Botswana, Special Olympics Burkina Faso, Special Olympics Côte d’Ivoire, Special Olympics Democratic Republic of the Congo, Special Olympics Gambia, Special Olympics Ghana, Special Olympics Kenya, Special Olympics Malawi, Special Olympics Mali, Special Olympics Mauritius, Special Olympics Namibia, Special Olympics Nigeria, Special Olympics Rwanda, Special Olympics Senegal, Special Olympics Seychelles, Special Olympics South Africa, Special Olympics Swaziland, Special Olympics Tanzania, Special Olympics Togo, Special Olympics Uganda, Special Olympics Zambia and Special Olympics Zimbabwe to promote the Special Olympics movement throughout the Region. Engage with us on: Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and YouTube.
