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Sport can drive social change

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Sports personalities have agreed that sport has the power to drive social change. Speaking at the One Young World Summit currently underway in Sandton, former Springboks captain, Francois Pienaar said sports personalities need to speak out on “big issues” like racism, women and drug abuse to influence and changes mind-sets of their fans positively.

“I was always bemused by the fact that when you run onto the sports field or walk onto a tennis court, certain people like you, but certain people just unlike you. You’ve done nothing. You’ve just walked out. And those people that like you will defend you in every conversation and everything that you’ve done, and they look up to you. And there comes the power of sports in social change. ”

Pienaar says it is such situations that sports figures can take advantage of to encourage positive lifestyles.

“Role models need to stand and talk out big issues and they’ve got to leave that through and the community will follow them. If they stand against racism the community will see that. If they stand against women abuse and drug abuse, they will see that.”

Former Springbok wing, Ashwin Wellimse says he was influence by sports to quit the life of drugs and focus on sports.

“I’m a living proof of the fact that if you can utilise sport to help people grow and believe in themselves and aspire to achieve things … I was inspired by the likes of Francois Pienaar, Chester Williams in ’95 when Nelson Mandela walked onto the stage and wore the No.6 Jersey. That inspiration helped me to aspire to something better in life.”

Sports figures can take advantage of their status to encourage a positive lifestyle

Willemse says growing without a father, he was faced with a lot of challenges. “I grew up without a father and you find that at the age of 16, I tried to commit suicide; I was a drug addict; I was a drug dealer. My aunt came to me and looked me straight in the eye and said: ‘Ashwin, if you don’t change your life around you will either end up in two ways; either dead or in prison. You make the choice.” Listen to the dialogue between Lucas Radebe, Ashwin Willemse, Francois Pienaar, Boris Becker and John Barnes below:

– By Sipho Kekana

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