World Cancer Day 2025: Cricketers who are working for Cancer initiatives

Every year on February 4, World Cancer Day is celebrated to bring together the global community in the fight against cancer. Led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), this initiative is to reduce cancer-related illness and death by promoting awareness, early detection, and treatment. Established in 2000, at the World Cancer Summit in Paris, the day also specifies the signing of the Charter of Paris against Cancer, specifying research, prevention, and patient care.

Cricketers have played a crucial role in health initiatives, using their platforms to spread awareness. Sachin Tendulkar has worked with UNICEF’s “Team Swachh Bharat” campaign to promote hygiene, while Yuvraj Singh’s “YouWeCan” foundation provides healthcare support.

Here are the five cricketers who are working for Cancer initiatives:

5. Imran Khan

Pakistan’s former PM and World Cup-winning Skipper, Imran Khan played a significant role through his philanthropy work, particularly in cancer treatment. His mother’s battle with cancer led him to establish the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH), the country’s first specialized cancer hospital, in Lahore in 1994.

Built entirely through donations, SKMCH became a place that provided free treatment to underprivileged patients. Recognizing the growing need for cancer care, Khan spearheaded the opening of a second hospital in Peshawar, inaugurated alongside a young cancer patient, Fakhir Afridi. His third SKMCH hospital is under construction in Karachi.

His fundraising efforts gained momentum after Pakistan’s 1992 Cricket World Cup win, with millions donated by well-wishers. Over the years, SKMCH has treated thousands of cancer patients, regardless of their financial background.