Nobel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai made Pakistanis proud with her inspiring speech at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games 2022.
Malala Yousafzai – who hails from Swat valley in Pakistan and now lives in the city of Birmingham – delivered a powerful speech urging teams from all countries and territories to join the people of Birmingham to celebrate friendship across borders.
“Tonight teams from 72 countries and territories join the people of Birmingham to celebrate friendship across borders. The young athletes who will compete over the next few weeks represent millions of girls and boys across the Commonwealth, our shared hope for the future. A future where every child can go to school, where women are free to participate in society, where families can live in peace and in dignity,” she said.
“Every child deserves the chance to reach her full potential and pursue her wildest dreams,” she said.
Malala moved to the UK where she received medical treatment after being shot by the Taliban in 2012. She studied at Edgbaston High School and now is studying at Oxford University.
“When I first came to this city, I had never heard its name but I used to know it through my doctors and nurses at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital,” she said.
“Through the teachers, who inspired me at school, helped my mother to learn English and taught my little brothers to drive,” said Malala.
“To the library of Birmingham, through the friends, I have made, from my best friend Ellen, a life-long Brummie, to the families that have come here from Zimbabwe, Hong Kong, Pakistan and beyond,” said the activist.
A total of 103 athletes are representing Pakistan at the Games at the Commonwealth Games 2022.
Pakistanis took to Twitter to share their excitement and praise Malala for her powerful speech.