Former heavyweight boxer and rugby superstar Sonny Bill Williams says sports can “hit the nail on the head” in Fiji’s war on drugs. Speaking to the media after a tour of the Aspen Lautoka Hospital, he said sports was a powerful tool that could be used to educate people to fight the drug scourge. He said the drug issue affecting the country was “upsetting” but was confident in the ability of sports to overcome it.
“So we need to hit the nail on the head, as they say, right now, right here,” the former All Blacks superstar said. “And I think the beauty of Fiji and the Pacific Islands, and what I know is, sport. “We need to stop it right now and if I can be an advocate for that, then I am more than willing to speak with a couple of people here in Fiji about using sports as a vehicle to educate our youths and understand the detrimental effects that drugs can have on their health.
“It starts with education at school, in the households in terms of making decisions for their households.” SBW, as he is commonly known, said everyone needed to work together to keep communities safe from the drug menace that was sweeping across the Pacific. He emphasised the role of sports as a powerful platform for change, and even put his hand up for action.
SBW said he could use his influence to raise awareness about the harmful effects of drugs. He said it was important to highlight the struggles associated with drug use..