Extraits
[...] With my team, we won the top three major handball competitions in the world: the European Championship, the World Championship and the Olympic games - and we surely hope to win the next ones But today, I would like to talk to you about another matter, a way less pleasant matter, which is very special to me and, in my opinion, should be in everyone's mind. That is, I would like to talk to you about the cause of animal abuse. My goal is to show you that this problem is not only of the essence, but also an emergency. [...]
[...] And I will proudly wear an armband protesting against animal abuse during my newt competitions. And you too, as sports enthusiasts, and more generally, as human beings, have every means to do the same, beginning by adjusting your lifestyle and the way you look at animals, from your cat or your dog to the cow which may very well end up in your plate. That is all, everyone. I thank you for your very kind attention. [...]
[...] Then, I will explain to what extent animal abuse has consequences not only on the animals themselves, but also on the human life, on us Finally, to conclude, I would like to share a few personal insights on the matter, as a professional athlete as well as an animal lover. Animal abuse is a global matter. Did you know that each year, in the entire world, approximately 140 million animals are butchered for their fur? An that 65 billion animals are killed for our everyday food? These numbers aim at pinpointing the weight of animal abuse. What is animal abuse, really? Animal abuse can take various forms; but each time, it results as an animal hurt by a human being, for this human being's sole comfort. [...]
[...] But more importantly, every time you hurt an animal, you hurt your human nature. Let me tell you a story about myself. A few years ago, you may very much know that we won second place at the Brazilian Olympic Games. And one night, when I was jogging in Rio, I saw this guy kicking his dog in the street: the dog was quite big and able to defend himself; and yet, he just took the kicking, without a sound. [...]
[...] This is the highest number of pets in Europe. Well, there again, see by yourself: in France, in 2022, approximately 44,200 (forty-four thousand two hundred) animals were taken into care for animal abuse by the SPA, the French Society for the Protection of Animals. And 11 (eleven) pets are abandoned every single hour. This leads me to my second point. One thing that I really want to raise awareness about, is that animal abuse has strong consequences on human beings. [...]
