Chile: Star footballer Sanchez named ambassador to healthy living program

Barcelonas Alexis Sanchez was honoured at the Chilean presidential palace Wednesday when first lady Cecilia Morel named him ambassador of her healthy living program, Choose to Live Healthy.The Barcelona star who Barca signed in July for a fee that could rise to 38 million euros was in his native Chile for the holidays and said he is focused on winning at his new club.This is a step by step process. I just got to Barcelona and have to keep winning titles, Sanchez said.The forward, who left Udinese to sign with the champion team, has been a standout though he says his teammates play to a higher calibre than other teams.There isnt so much to correct when youre playing in Barcelona. There isnt a lot of time to make corrections because you play on Wednesday and then on Saturday youre playing again. Also, the players there dont need anything corrected they are all on the same playing field, Sanchez said.While at home, the Chilean joked that some of his new, mostly Spanish teammates, struggle with his accent and only Argentine super star Lionel Messi can understand him.It is true, he [Argentine teammate Lionel Messi] is the only one who laughs because for some of them it is hard to understand me because I speak so fast. It is hard for [Spanish goalkeeper Victor] Valdes. He cant understand me and says to me, I cant understand you, Chilean, Sanchez said.But at the presidential palace on Wednesday his young fans had no trouble understanding their idol.The first lady named the soccer hero the ambassador to her healthy living program to draw kids into the fold of the program that encourages Chileans to eat right, exercise, and to spend time outdoors and with their families.This was the 23-year-old Boy Wonders third visit to the presidential palace after coming with the national team that played in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the under 20 team that third place in Canada in 2007.