Gauteng Future Champions Talent Search Programme kicks off in style

Orlando Urban News

Johannesburg, 22nd February 2011

The 2011 Gauteng Future Champions Talent Search started on a high note last weekend as pupils from different
schools attended the programme.

This exciting event was held at Molctsane Sports Complex.

Over 600 pupils took part in this youth soccer extravaganza to expose their skills and talent.

The event is run in conjunction with the Gauteng Department of Education and players who participated at the event were from Johannesburg Central and Johannesburg North districts.

Overall winners of this event will be given a chance to represent the country in Brazil for a week sometime this year.

Only three players and one coach will be selected to visit Brazil.

There were 10 coaches from Gauteng who work in youth and football development. and were also assessing participating youngsters.

There were also a total of 45 trainers from the life skills programme who mentored the pupils on the dangers of HIV/Aids.

One of the coaches at the event, Siphiwe Tsietsi said this programme helps these youngsters to showcase their skills and talent at a younger age and also gives them a chance to play abroad and gain experience overseas.

Tsietsi is one of the coaches who went to Brazil last year together with three other players.

He said he enjoyed the experience and is looking forward to visit Brazil for the second time.

According to Lydia Phala from MDO Marketing, the children came in different areas and were transported in from Soweto, Eldorado Park, Lenasia and other parts of Gauteng.

Once participants were registered, they were put into groups of 25, after which they underwent soccer skills tests and life skills tests.

The finals of the Talent Search will be held during the 2011 Gauteng Future Champions Tournament which will take place from March 28 to April 2, where the top three young individuals will be chosen.

Semifinals will be held on March 19 at Molctsane.

  • 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