Young Leaders Mentoring Program presented by ISPS Handa
On October 4, 2018 Sport at the Service of Humanity launched its Young Leaders Mentoring Program which aims to prepare athletes and young leaders in sport to “Win in Life” and inspire their communities through the power of their example.
The program, launched with the support of ISPS Handa at a special event in Buenos Aires on the occasion of the Youth Olympic Games, will see four young leaders from South Sudan, Canada, Philippines and Israel embark on a transformational one-year journey under the mentorship of four distinguished sport and business champions.
The four young leaders taking part in the first year’s program are:
• Anjelina Nadai – A 23-year-old track runner from the Kakuma Refugee Camp in South Sudan. She was a member of the Refugee Olympic Team at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
• Chantal Sathi – A Canadian of Sri Lankan Heritage; she is a kick boxer, a personal trainer and a community youth leader and has a degree in Kinesiology and a Masters in Theology in Urban and International Development
• John Paul Masubay – A 24-year-old football player, coach, mentor and youth leader from Tacloban, Philippines.
• Shahid Bishara – A 15-year-old female squash player who lives with her family in an Arab town in Israel. She got involved in squash at age 10 as part of a special project that that aimed to help bridge gaps between Jewish and Arab cultures in Israel.
These mentees will have the privilege of being mentored by the following four mentors:
• HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein – IOC Member, President of Jordan Olympic Committee, Founder/Chairman of Generations for Peace
• Victor Montagliani – FIFA Vice President, President CONCACAF
• Renata Simril – President and CEO of LA84 Foundation
• Jon Tibbs OBE – Founder/Chairman of JTA
The mentees and mentors met for the first time during an interaction session at the launch even where the mentees and mentors had the opportunity to shared their experience, stories and vision of how they see the mentorship relationship unfolding.
The mentees also had the opportunity to meet attend the Olympism in Action Forum where they met with IOC President Thomas Bach who has regularly shown his support for the Sport at the Service of Humanity. “Young people are the future of our Olympic Movement and this inspirational group of young leaders should give us all confidence for tomorrow,” Mr. Bach said. “I’m so pleased that so many senior figures in sport can help them on their way.”
Msgr. Melchor Sanchez de Toca, Undersecretary, Pontifical Council for Culture and Sport at the Service of Humanity Foundation Board Director said:
“We are delighted to have four very driven and talented young leaders and four highly experienced and distinguished mentors take part in the first Young Leaders Mentoring Program.
“Sport at the Service of Humanity is a global movement which uses the inspirational, unifying power of Sport and Faith to change the world. Through the Young Leaders Mentoring Program, we strongly believe that we can help young leaders in sport become international role models with the power and the passion to change sport and the world for the better.”
The first cohort of mentees will become the inaugural Sport at the Service of Humanity Global Youth Ambassadors – the faith of the movement at home and internationally.
Every year, new athletes and young leaders in sport will be selected as mentees and carry the Sport at the Service of Humanity message to new parts of the world.
Dr. Haruhisa Handa, Founder/Chairman of ISPS Handa added:
“We are very proud to be part of the Youth Mentoring Program that aims to cultivate and nurture young athletes and sports leaders who embody the values and principles shared by ISPS and SSH. I am hugely impressed by the caliber and enthusiasm of the young mentees and very grateful that people of the stature and reputation of the mentors are willing to share their knowledge, experience and time with the mentees. We look forward to working with SSH to change the lives of young people.”
