VELUX EHF Champions League backs International Day of the Girl Child

The VELUX EHF Champions League’s links with charity partner Plan International has been strengthened further ahead of this week’s International Day of the Girl Child.

International Day of the Girl Child, which is celebrated globally on 11 October, highlights and addresses the needs and challenges facing girls under the age of 18, while promoting girls’ empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights.

As part of the EHF Champions League’s continued support of the initiative, handball legend Dominik Klein and EHF Marketing Managing Director David Szlezak visited Brazil while this Sunday’s Match of the Week will see a number of special activations take place.

Former German star Klein, in his role as charity ambassador, joined ex-Austrian international Szlezak in Brazil to witness first-hand the work that Plan International is doing to help improve the lives of girls. The charity states over seven million girls under the age of 18 become parents while 130 million worldwide do not attend school.

As part of the visit, the pair met 12-year-old Lays, who has been sponsored by EHF Marketing and who lives with her father and stepmother in an area of Brazil where 60 per cent of children and adults live in poverty, and where schools are either poorly-equipped or lack teaching staff.

This weekend’s VELUX EHF Champions League Match of the Week between Aalborg Handbold and MOL-Pick Szeged on Sunday 13 October will also honour the International Day of the Girl Child. The centre circle will be coloured pink and a young girl will play a key role in the whole set-up, including the hand-over of the Player of the Match award.

Lays gives Dominik Klein a hug during their meeting in Brazil

With this, both clubs and the spectators together with the EHF Marketing and Plan International can show the importance of the International Day of the Girl Child.  

David Szlezak, managing director of EHF Marketing GmbH, said: “We are extremely proud of the positive and proactive work that Plan International is providing to girls like Lays and her family.

“Our experience in Brazil further highlighted the fantastic work of the organisation but also showed why the continued support of such projects is vital to communities.

“We hope that our partnership with Plan International can continue to help give them a platform to carry out the life-changing work around the world to those who need it.”

For further information on International Day of the Girl Child: https://www.un.org/en/events/girlchild/

Visit https://www.plan-international.de for more information on Plan International.