Six time world boxing trainer Johnny Lewis believes Fiji athletes have the potential to become world champions in the future.

Lewis made the comment during the official launch of his project with the Fiji Amateur Boxing Association at the Fiji Police Special Response Unit in Nasinu yesterday.

“I do believe that we are going to succeed particularly in boxing because that is what we will be going for,” Lewis who trained three-time world bantamweight champion Jeff Fenech and world light welterweight champion Ko­stya Tszyu said.

“Winston Hill is one the recent times great product of Fiji and he’s going to stand tall in the world boxing and I believe in him.

“It is a great honour for me to have the Australian High Commissioner John Feakes back from home and present at this event.

“I had found Fiji almost 50 years ago through watching some of the great boxers particularly the renowned Sa­karaia Ve, Alipate Korovu and the list go on.

“I had watched them fight but they were denied to be­come world champions because of the lack of equipment and the right discipline which let them down but this al­ways been a nation of great sportsman.”

Feakes applauded the initiative of the project as it strengthens the relationship between the two nations as well.

“Australia and Fiji have the love of the sport from profes­sional level right down to grassroots level. And this love for sports extends through to rugby, athletics, netball and boxing,” Feakes said.

“Since, I had arrived in Fiji I have been struck by the im­mense pride that the Fijians have in their athletes and it’s a national obsession and Fiji delivers with that obsession.

“For a country with less than a million people, Fiji en­joys an outsized reputation as athletes with exceptional talent greet and flare.

“And particularly, pleased to be here to witness the gen­erous world class boxing equipment handover by Johnny Lewis and the team from One Dream. This will be a huge boost for boxing in this country.”

Edited by Leone Cabenatabua