NZ Muslim player gives medal to young fan
OnIslam & Newspapers
Gary Morley and Neil Curry, CNN
1 November 2015
New Zealand Muslim star, Sonny Bill Williams, gave his Rugby World Cup medal to a young boy after a security guard wrestled him to the ground, adding to his fame as a modest hero of the island.
“A young fella snuck on the field somehow but when he was coming up to give me a hug, he got smoked by a security guard, full-on tackled him,” Williams said afterwards, The Independent reported on Sunday, November 1.
“He was only eight and the other fella was a full-on man, so it looked like he would break his ribs or something.
“The moment probably just got the better of him but he was just so excited to get on the field with the All Blacks. I thought I’d make it a night to remember for him, rather than my medal being hanging up at home or something like that.”
The incident occurred during the World Cup Final between New Zealand and Australia when 14-year-old New Zealand fan Charlie Lines was flattened after trying to reach Williams.
The player, deemed a hero in New Zealand, was photographed intervening, then handing the dumbfounded youngster his medal.
Williams acted after seeing a security guard rugby-tackling the boy, who had run on the pitch during the All Blacks’ lap of honour following their 34-17 Rugby World Cup final victory over Australia.
“It will be hanging around that young guy’s neck and he can tell that story for years to come. He might be a future All Black!” he said.
“The bonds that we have as brothers in the changing room are the most important thing,” added Williams, insisting he wouldn’t regret the gesture.
“The medal represents the win, but going in and seeing the smiles on the boys faces, knowing that we’ve accomplished something no other All Blacks team has done, is pretty special,” Williams added.
Praise
The nice move was shared several times on Facebook pages, including that of Mufti Ismail Menk, winning Williams praise on the social website.
“Mashaallah. This is Islam. Alhamdulillah for these beautiful values and alhamdulillah for the win #allblacks Proud to be Muslim, Proud to be kiwi smile emoticon,” one commented on the post.
“Welcome to Islam brother SBW,” another wrote.
“MashaAllah he is so talented….and aiming for rugby 7s Olympic medal next year!! at Allah give him success in this life and the next,” a third commenter added.
Born in 1985, Williams a top-notch rugby star in New Zealand.
He reverted to Islam in 2008 after attending prayer services at a Sydney mosque. The superstar is the first Muslim to play for the All Blacks rugby team.
For rugby’s original wild child Sonny Bill Williams, meeting a Tunisian family who lived with their five children in a one-bedroom flat in the south of France proved pivotal to his conversion to Islam.
The New Zealander’s unshakeable belief in the Almighty has proved to be the making of one of the island nation’s most gifted — and controversial — sports stars.
“I was real close with them, and I saw how happy and content they were. And to see how they lived their lives, it was just simple,” Sonny Bill Williams, a prodigious rugby talent, professional boxer and tattooed poster boy, told CNN’s Human to Hero series.
“I wouldn’t be half the man I am today without my faith,” New Zealand’s Sonny Bill Williams said in a BBC video.
One thing I’ve learned over my career is that simplicity is the key. On the field, off as well.”
“I’ve become a true Muslim,” added Williams. “It’s giving me happiness. It’s made me become content as a man, and helped me to grow. I’ve just got faith in it and it has definitely helped me become the man I am today.”
Four years in union, including a World Cup win, six professional victories as a boxer, William’s conversion to Islam have seen him return to league a new man.
“I think I’ve become a better person. When I play, I play well,” Williams said.
“I get a lot of love, a lot of respect,” he added.
“Islam has given me happiness. I don’t go around preaching or anything. It is like something that’s just with me,” Williams said in another video posted on YouTube.
“What it has done for me on my inside I can’t really explain. But obviously it’s helped with my footy, ‘cause I don’t drink or anything like that anymore and I try to live a lot cleaner lifestyle and things like that, but essentially it’s just made me a lot happier.”
The south-pacific island country of New Zealand is home to 36,000 Muslims, according to the 2006 census.
Sources:
http://www.onislam.net/english/news/asia-pacific/465441-islam-gave-me-happiness-nz-rugby-star.html
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/11/27/sport/sonny-bill-williams-rugby-new-zealand/
Picture: http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/131122105204-h2h-sbw5-horizontal-gallery.jpg
