Abu Dhabi: Rugby legend Sean Fitzpatrick is eager to return to the UAE and fulfil the late South African president Nelson Mandela’s desire to harness sport’s power to change the world.
The former New Zealand All Blacks captain is a passionate member of the Laureus World Sports Academy, joining 46 other sporting greats in supporting sporting projects to help underprivileged youngsters worldwide.
Speaking from Belfast, Northern Ireland, where he was promoting the Urban Stars sports programme to tackle youth crime and anti-social behaviour, Fitzpatrick said he was open to visiting the UAE to assist in any similar initiatives.
He said: “I always refer back to the words of our founding patron, Nelson Mandela, who said that sport has the power to change the world, and I am privileged to have been able to contribute to his vision through the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.
“We held the Laureus World Sports Awards in Abu Dhabi in 2010 and 2011 and we did some co-operative work with the Shaikha Salama Bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation to promote and use sport as a positive solution to problems facing young people in the region.
“We undertook a healthy schools initiative aimed at improving fitness, reducing obesity and helping boost the self-esteem and emotional well-being of school children, and are always open to engaging with new projects around the world.”
For more information on Laureus, visit www.laureus.com.
