PARIS, France — Sports for Peace hosted a gala night to honor former Olympic champions Carl Lewis and Michael Phelps for their contributions to sport and philanthropy and the IOC Olympic Refugee Team, including Afghan cyclist Masomah Ali Zada.
"We should find ways to elevate them (women) instead of tearing them down," said Lewis, when asked about Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who clinched a medal at the Paris Olympics Saturday following days of sharp scrutiny and online abuse as misconceptions about her gender exploded into a larger clash about identity in sports.
The aim of the event was to celebrate the social values of sport and to honor selected sports personalities for their significant charitable commitments to social issues. Honorary chairs included actor Sharon Stone.
Sports for Peace serves as a platform for athletes from all over the world to come together and promote sports values such as fair play, tolerance, plus the Olympic ideals of peace, freedom, and international and intercultural understanding.
Guests included representatives of the IOC, the head of the Olympic Committee of France David Lappartient, former gymnast and Olympic medalist Nadia Comaneci, among other current and former sports personalities.