The final four Future Player Talent Search events to be held this weekend

Johannesburg, Thursday, 14 March 2013 – The final four events for the 2013 Future Players Talent Search will be held this weekend as the best young football talent in the Gauteng province vie to be crowned this year’s winner.

The turnout so far in 2013 has been huge, taking the Future Players Talent Search close to the target of 10 000 learners in this year’s competition.

The UJ Soweto Campus will host learners from Johannesburg South & North on Saturday (16 March), with the action getting under way at 09h00. At the same time, the Randfontein Primary School will be the location for the Gauteng West region.

Sunday (17 March) will see the Sports School of Excellence host for the Ekurhuleni South & North region, and the Kwa-Tema Sports Complex for Gauteng East.

The Future Players initiative is run in conjunction with the Gauteng Provincial Government and is open to youngsters, both boys and girls, aged 13 to 16.

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

The youngsters also get treated to a food pack from loyal partner, Pick ‘n Pay.

  • 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