The 2012 Future Players talent search programme continues to make its way around Gauteng

Johannesburg, Friday, 16 March 2012 – The 2012 Future Players Talent Search will continue to make its way around Gauteng this Saturday, 17th March, taking place in five venues across the province as the hunt for the next generation of football stars gets into full swing.

The popular programme, run in conjunction with the Gauteng Provincial Government, is looking to unearth the best young talent in the Gauteng region in the Under-17 age group, with thousands of boys and girls hopeful of being spotted and set on the road to superstardom.

The programme is open to youngsters aged 13 to 16, and will have trials at centers around the province through the month of March, leading up to the big reveal of who will be the 2012 Future Players Talent Search winner.

On Saturday, the Future Players Talent Search will stop in at the Mamelodi Central Grounds next to the HM Pitje Stadium (Tshwane South And Gauteng North region), Ruimsig Stadium in Roodepoort (Gauteng West and Johannesburg West), Cecil Old Ridge Park in Vanderbijlpark (Sedibeng East and Sedibeng West), Elandsfontein Football School of Excellence in Ekurhuleni (Gauteng East and Ekurhuleni South) and the University of Johannesburg’s Soweto Campus (Johannesburg Central and Johannesburg North).

The programme starts at 09h00 and runs until 15h00, with the learners receiving a food pack from loyal partner Pick n Pay.

Last weekend the programme visited the Ennerdale Sports Ground and the Sam Ntuli Sports Ground in Thokoza for another successful set of events that together saw 700 learners put through their paces.

Aside from the football skills assessment that was used to identify the best of the young players, all learners also took part in a 45-minute life-skills programme that was presented by 10 representatives of Grassroot Soccer’s ‘Skillz’ programme which teaches about living a healthy, risk-free life.

The 2012 Future Players Talent Search is now in its fourth year and forms part of the Future Champions Gauteng tournament that sees some of the best Under-17 club sides from around the world descend on the province for an international tournament. This year’s competition takes place between March 26-31 and will be held at the Nike Football Training Centre in Soweto.

  • We had a wonderful football and cultural experience in Gauteng. The tournament and activities were very well organized and we found everyone involved extremely helpful and accommodating. We have all returned home with fantastic memories of our time in South Africa, both on and off the pitch, and have made many new friends as a result of the trip. I hope that we are invited to participate in future tournaments.

    Everton Academy Head Coach

  • The experience both on and off the field for our players during the Future Champions tournament in Gauteng was life-enriching for all those who participated. We were privileged enough to win this edition but what will be bringing us back in future is the cross-cultural education our players receive from spending time with athletes from all over the world. They are human beings before they are football players and enriching them with other cultures is as rewarding as the experience they receive on the field.

    Club Tijuana Director of Football

  • After twenty years of experiencing tournaments around the globe, Future Champions is hands down the best organized, well run International Tournament we have ever participated in. Bringing teams from dozens of different countries provided our boys exposure to cultural diversity they only read about in textbooks. It’s amazing how sport can be the cultural link that provides the opportunity to interact with each other and discover that our global community is a bit smaller than they realized. We had a football and cultural experience that will be cherished for the rest of our lives.

    Director of USYSA Select

  • For us to compete in Future Champions is much more than playing a series of matches. It is an opportunity to compete and contrast our level against the best teams from around the world and the possibility of living in another culture and environment for an unforgettable week, learning about the history of the fight for human rights.

    Director of Aspire Academy

  • The addition of a girls’ competition this year is a natural expansion for what has become a hugely popular event. Over and above the football, the players are also exposed to life-skills courses and HIV/AIDS awareness that could end up saving their lives in the future. We have had an amazing partnership with the Gauteng Province over the last decade and we thank each and every stakeholder for making the Future Champions Gauteng campaign such a huge success

    Tournament director