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Country's legendary table tennis player Zobera Rahman Linu, Bangladesh cricket team's skipper Habibul Bashar Sumon and talented batsman Mohammad Ashraful have been appointed as the UNICEF goodwill ambassadors for one year, reports BDNEWS.
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), which works on girl's education, immunisation, HIV/AIDS, children's rights, their survival, development, protection etc across the world, will utilize the three outstanding players' benevolence in the social mobilisation for children and women.
The UNICEF will make a formal announcement on their appointment on October 27, official sources said the news agency Monday.
The 40-year old Zobera Rahman Linu from Khulna became national table tennis champion for 16 times (from 1977 to 2001) to write her name in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Linu expressed her happiness at the appointment and said, "I feel honoured."
"I have got a chance to serve the people, and the country as well. I will try my best to make the UNICEF programme a success."
"If there is further offer from any organisation to work for the society, I will definitely welcome it," she told.
"The country has given me a lot. Now it's my turn to serve the nation, and I will try my level best," said Linu, who visited a good number of countries including the UK, China, North Korea, South Korea, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia.
Besides, the former national player, who received her MSc in psychology from Jagannath College under Dhaka University, was awarded the national sports award in 1999. She was honoured with BSJA award in 1991, BSWA award in 1980 and 1991, NSC award in 1991, Shinning Personality award in 2005 and Anannya Top Ten-2005.
Now, she will play her role in social mobilisation for the healthcare of the women and children, and a pioneering role in advocacy against HIV/ AIDS epidemic among women and children.
Test minnows Bangladesh tasted their first-ever Test victory early this year under the leadership of the country's most successful batsman Habibul Bashar Sumon, who took over the charge of captaincy from Khaled Mahmud in January 2004.
"It's a great chance for me to do something for the welfare of a particular section of the society," said Sumon in his reaction.
"I feel thrilled and honoured."
The soft-spoken guy from Kushtia scored 2514 runs in 38 Tests featuring three hundreds and 21 fifties with the highest score of 113.
The 33-year old Bashar, who led his side to taste five ODIs victory out of ten in 125 ODIs Bangladesh had played, scored 1379 in 72 ODIs with nine fifties.
Mohammad Ashraful hit a debut Test century against Sri Lanka on September 8 in 2001, just one day before his 17th birthday, stunning the world as the youngest to score a Test century.
The 21-year talented batsman, who hammered an unbeaten 158 runs against former champions India in Chittagong in December in 2004, scored 1269 runs in 29 Tests with two centuries and six fifties.
Country's master batsman Ashraful, who was the master of historic triumph against world champions Australia hitting a century, scored 1059 runs in 59 ODIs with a century and six half-centuries.
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