One of Britain’s leading sailors, Ian Walker, winner of two Olympic silver medals and skipper of Volvo Ocean Race (VOR) contender Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, has been named the newest Laureus Ambassador in Cape Town.

Walker joins an impressive list of current and former sportsmen and women around the world who support and promote the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.

Ambassadors volunteer their time to work for the Laureus Foundation, whose mission is to use sport as the means to combat some of the world’s toughest social challenges facing young people today such as juvenile crime, gangs, HIV/AIDS, discrimination, social exclusion, lack of education, landmines awareness and health problems such as obesity.

Since its inception Laureus has raised over €60 million to improve the lives of millions of young people and currently supports more than 150 community sports projects in 34 countries.

A week after skippering his team to victory in the first VOR leg from Spain to South Africa, Walker welcomed a group of young people from Laureus-supported community projects in Cape Town on board ADOR’s yacht Azzam, to take a look around, meet the crew and later take a tour of the race Boatyard service facility.

The youngsters then watched from the waterfront as Azzam, which is sponsored by Laureus Global Partner, IWC Schaffhausen, took part in the Cape Town In-Port race.

"It’s a great honour to be asked to be a Laureus Ambassador and I was delighted that we were able to get the youngsters along from Laureus projects in Cape Town to meet the crew. Yachting depends on teamwork and harmony among the crew and I was able to explain that to the kids," said an excited Walker.

"That’s why sport is a great way of teaching young people life skills. I am really looking forward to taking part in more activities for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation," he added.-TradeArabia News Service