His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has sounded a clarion call to the international community to fight the war against Covid-19 as one team and win this 'world cup' at any cost.
He tweeted out an inspiring video about the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic, making comparisons to sport with a montage of the frontliners.
"The whole world is playing from one side. We are one team. This is our home ground, this is our World Cup and we will win," says the narrator (radio presenter Kris Fade) in the video, shared by Sheikh Mohammed in a tweet and with a powerful three-word message: We Will Win.
The 71-second video starts with an aerial image of Abu Dhabi's Zayed Sports City Stadium and then a sequence of shots showing various sporting events across the world and the UAE. The video then shows the floodlights switching off one by one at empty stadia. There are glimpses of families following frames of the frontliners - healthcare professionals and emergency workers, including firefighters and police personnel.
This is followed by UAE citizens and residents cheering the frontline warriors from their homes, shots of Covid-19 patients applauding the frontline workers as well as frames of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid as well as His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, sending messages of assurance and support.
The voiceover gives goosebumps with passionate words: "The play-offs have been cancelled. The tournaments, the leagues, the championships, they have all been postponed.
"And so, right now, there were no different games and different titles to win and different cups to raise, because for the first time in a long time, there is only one team to support, there's only one team to put our whole heart behind.
"Sure, we still have our star players, our MVPs, our greatest of all times. And yeah, we'll still cheer them on and we'll still pray for a victory. And we'll still do everything we can to show our support because we are all in this together. When in doubt, remember, the whole world is playing from one side. We are one team. This is our home ground, this is our World Cup and we will win."
The video ends with the UAE Nation Brand, the seven lines logo, and the words 'Impossible is possible,' a play on Sheikh Mohammad's quote that states "The word 'impossible' is not in leaders' dictionaries. No matter how big the challenges, strong faith, determination and resolve will overcome them."
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