THE DUKE of Sussex and Anthony Joshua have joined forces as the duo discussed the power of sports ahead of a campaign.
The 34-year-old royal and the Watford-born heavyweight champ appeared in a new video in conjunction with Made by Sport, a four-year project created to highlight the importance of activity and community for vulnerable young people.
The initiative, aims to raise £40 million to give to community centres, gyms, and other sports programmes, and is supported by double Olympic champion boxer Nicola Adams.
In the video, Harry tells 29-year-old Joshua: “In so many communities now, sport is being used as a hook. You get them in and before you know it, after a week or maybe a month, their whole character is changed for the better … I don’t think you can put a price to that.”
The prince, who in 2014 launched the Invictus Games for ex-services personnel, added: “I’ve seen life not just changed but saved through sport. The whole campaign is about trying to explain the benefits that this has on every single person, no matter who you are.”
Joshua, who was awarded an OBE last year, expressed how important boxing has been to him. “With boxing, that was where I found my gang … I feel like my success is attached to the discipline, regiment, lifestyle and education I’ve got through the sport,” he said. “The gang of people I met through boxing had the same mindset as me. That’s what I love to do.”
The pair were joined by London community coach Tanayah Sam who works for Time To Shine, a cricket charity.
Same discuss how sport saved him from a life of crime and gangs. He said: “Sport is the one thing you can always engage in with young people and that’s a form of communication.”
Justin King, Made By Sport chairman, said: “Sport has the power to change lives. It can teach us skills that last a lifetime and, in a world where local sports is under increasing pressure, where it’s easier to play on your phone than in a park and where joining gangs can be more glamorous than joining teams, we believe it can play a pivotal role in how young people develop.”
Watch the video below:
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