2007 FAIR-PLAYER Award (Roberto Baggio

2007 FAIR-PLAYER Award

On next December 17th will take place the presentation of the 2007 FAIR-PLAYER Awards, acknowledgments which the No Fair - No Play Onlus Ethics Committee (President: Luciano Capponi – Honorary Members: Nevio Scala, Gianfranco Zola) bestows each year to “Every Day Champions”, men who know how to bring style and passion on the field, professionals from various sectors, devoted to whatever endeavours they undertake. Who play to win but also know how to lose.
In lightness, with sportsman spirit, respect, honour, friendship.
For the 2007 edition, the award has been granted to Roberto Baggio.

Hello, everyone.
First of all, I wish to thank all those who worked with passion and enthusiasm on this project. I am sincerely honoured to receive the 2007 “Fair Play”, because it is a solid engagement in favour of youngsters.
As FAO Ambassador, but firstly as a man and a parent, I am always profoundly saddened by the suffering which in many parts of the World afflict the lives of children and youths.
We must remember that they are in fact our future, to protect their growth and to firmly engage ourselves in their favour must become the challenge of this century and all together we must succeed.
To observe a group of soccer players who go head-to-head with loyalty, running after the ball, just like that, even without any rules as we used to do as youngsters, is truly an image which moves a person. And it will always move someone, who like me, loved and loves this game: let’s make sure that such a sensation always remains alive.
To think of sports, to think of soccer, which for me still represents a huge and endless passion, encourages exchange, friendship, solidarity: values which represent a necessity for the creation of a better world, made up of better men. This future is in the hands of the children and youths of today, let’s help them.
From the bottom of my heart, my warmest thanks.

Roberto Baggio

NO FAIR – NO PLAY ONLUS

A little “thought” from Luciano Capponi, conceiver of the No Fair-No Play project and President of the Ethics Committee

The good Lord saw that the children were entering the soccer fields, on Sunday, hand in hand with the soccer players and said: “It is a good thing...”
Then He saw many children entering for free, always at the stadium, and could not help Himself but whisper: “It is a good thing…”
He looked a little closer and noticed that those children, beyond the vague smiles and shouts, had sad eyes and thought: “Hmmm..,”, and looked a little closer.
“It looks like publicity…”, He reflected and it turned out that during the week, the adults were no longer holding their children by the hand.
So He then went lurking in soccer schools, to re-discover that smile which He, with full hands, had once endowed to mankind, and heard a phrase from an instructor: “Break his legs!”
“Oh, my God… (and smiled, obviously, because He was referring to Himself) … the publicity is hiding something.”
For awhile, He stopped observing and noticed that an enormous paradox was devouring the world.
A peace soldier died on mission… “A peace soldier? – He told Himself – Would that not be the same as using a knife to make tea?”
He whispered: “There’s something not right.”
And even in His divine mercy, He swirled His hands a tad nervously.
He glanced here and there, no longer superficially.
And saw children killed by parents…
Adults blinded by ardent pedophile urges…
The third sex and … the fourth, the fifth… and whatever else.
The disasters of Saturday night.
The showgirls.
And saw the wars in the stadiums…
“The war in the stadiums”.
In the hearts.
Hence, the good Lord had nothing else to say.
Alone, for a little while, He thought: “Hmmm…”
“Why do they not think of the children? – He said to a few angels while they flitted blissfully – There’s the need for a long-term program… there’s a lot of work to be done and… no time to waste!”
He then lit the television and heard only awful news and saw atrocious scenes.
“Why don’t they do newscasts about good things?”, was said by the good Lord.
“Because You are a do-gooder and simple-minded” – replied a keen angel. “Furthermore – continued the angel – there is the right to news, the empire of the medias and…”
“Enough”, thundered the good Lord.
But no one heard His voice because “equal time” came into effect and… someone else took the stand.
Guess who.
Luciano Capponi
www.nofairnoplay.it

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2007 FAIR-PLAYER Award

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