UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Soccer fans around the world will now have a day to celebrate the world's most popular sport every year – May 25.
The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution Tuesday proclaiming May 25 as World Football Day. The sport is called football outside of the United States.
The day marks the 100th anniversary of the firs t international soccer tournament in history with the representation of all regions which took place on May 25, 1924 during the summer Olympic games held in Paris, according to the resolution.
The 193-member General Assembly adopted the resolution by consensus with a bang of the gavel by its president, Dennis Francis, to applause from diplomats in the assembly chamber. It was co-sponsored by more than 160 countries.
Libya’s U.N. Ambassador Taher El-Sonni, who introduced the resolution, told the assembly, “Football or soccer as others call it is t he number one game played and followed around the globe.”
But he stressed that soccer is more than just a game played by all ages on streets, in villages, schools and courtyards for fun and in competitions.
Because of its “unparalleled position” in the world of sports, El-Sonni said, “football serves as a universal language spoken across the globe, cutting across national, cultural and socio-economic barriers.”
He said the game has become “a pivotal platform” championing gender equality and social inclusion, “a common ground where individuals from varying backgrounds converge, promoting mutual understanding, tolerance, respect and solidarity.”
The resolution acknowledges “the global reach of football and its impact in various spheres, including commerce, peace and diplomacy, and recognizing that football creates a space for cooperation.”
It also recognizes “the fundamental role” of soccer’s international governing body, FIFA, and the important role of regional and national soccer federations, as well as relevant associations, in p romoting the game.
The resolution encourages all countries to support soccer and other sports as a tool to promote peace, development and the empowerment of women and girls. And it also encourages countries to adopt policies and programs to promote football and other sports and physical activities.
On May 25, the resolution “invites” all nations, U.N. bodies, international organizations, academia, civil society and the private sector to observe World Football Day in line with national priorities “and to disseminate the advantages of football for all, including through educational and public awareness-raising activities.”
Argentina's River Plate fans wait for the start of a Copa Libertadores Group H soccer match against Uruguay's Nacional in Montevideo, Uruguay, Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico)
Borussia Dortmund supporters celebrate at the end of the Champions League semifinal second leg soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)
ISLAMABAD (AP) — More heavy rains in Afghanistan have triggered flash floods, raising the death toll to 47 in the country's north following weeks of devastating torrents that had already left hundreds dead and missing, a Taliban spokesman said Sunday.
The new round of heavy rains and floods hit three districts in Faryab province Saturday night, destroying houses and farmlands, said Shamsuddin Mohammadi, the provincial director of information. Earlier reports from Faryab put the death toll at 18 but officials said they were still preliminary figures.
Afghanistan has been witnessing unusually heavy seasonal rains.
In the hard-hit western province of Ghor, 50 people were reported dead from Friday’s floods, according to Abdul Wahid Hamas, spokesman for the provincial governor.
The U.N. food agency said Ghor was the most affected by the floods. Last week, the World Food Program said the exceptionally heavy rains in Afghanistan had killed more than 300 people and destroyed thousands of houses, mostly in the northern province of Baghlan.
Survivors have been left with no home, no land, and no source of livelihood, WFP said, adding that most of Baghlan was inaccessible by trucks.
The latest disaster came on the heels of devastating floods that killed at least 70 people in April. The waters also destroyed about 2,000 homes, three mosques and four schools in western Farah and Herat, and southern Zabul and Kandahar provinces.
An Afghan man collects his belongings from his damaged home after heavy flooding in Ghor province in western Afghanistan, Saturday, May 18, 2024. Flash floods from heavy seasonal rains in Ghor province killed dozens of people and dozens remain missing, a Taliban official said on Saturday, adding the death toll was based on preliminary reports and might rise. (AP Photo/Omid Haqjoo)
Afghan men collect their belongings from their damaged home after heavy flooding in Ghor province in western Afghanistan, Saturday, May 18, 2024. Flash floods from heavy seasonal rains in Ghor province killed dozens of people and dozens remain missing, a Taliban official said on Saturday, adding the death toll was based on preliminary reports and might rise. (AP Photo/Omid Haqjoo)
Afghan men collect their belongings from their damaged homes after heavy flooding in Ghor province in western Afghanistan, Saturday, May 18, 2024. Flash floods from heavy seasonal rains in Ghor province killed dozens of people and dozens remain missing, a Taliban official said on Saturday, adding the death toll was based on preliminary reports and might rise. (AP Photo/Omid Haqjoo)
A damaged house is seen after heavy flooding in Ghor province in western Afghanistan, Saturday, May 18, 2024. Flash floods from heavy seasonal rains in Ghor province killed dozens of people and many remain missing, a Taliban official said on Saturday, adding the death toll was based on preliminary reports and might rise. (AP Photo/Omid Haqjoo)
An Afghan couple sit near their damaged home after heavy flooding in Ghor province in western Afghanistan, Saturday, May 18, 2024. Flash floods from heavy seasonal rains in Ghor province dozens of people and dozens remain missing, a Taliban official said on Saturday, adding the death toll was based on preliminary reports and might rise. (AP Photo/Omid Haqjoo)
