On Friday at 5 p.m. Bangladesh time, the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics began. Dr. Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Laureate economist from Bangladesh, received the ‘Olympic Laurel’ special honour. This accolade was bestowed on him almost immediately prior to the start of the athletes’ procession.
Yunus was given the prize for his outstanding contributions to the development of sports.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) began awarding ‘Olympic Laurels’ five years ago. In 2006, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to alleviate poverty through microfinance.
They started granting the prize in acknowledgement of their efforts in culture, education, and peace, as well as the stadium’s renovation. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, former Kenyan Olympian Kip Kaino received the award for the first time.
