Making football dreams come true
Three young African footballers have their hopes set on a fantastic footballing future with a chance of a scholarship to ASPIRE following the latest round of ASPIRE Africa Football Dreams, which concluded in Johannesburg, South Africa this week.
The talented 12 year olds beat tough opposition from more than 85,000 South African boys drawn from across the country as part of the largest football talent search the world has ever seen.
ASPIRE Africa Football Dreams has created incredible momentum across the whole of Africa as 500,000 boys, with dreams of becoming professional footballers, test their ability in front of specialist coaches from the Academy.
The latest destination of South Africa, proved to be rich in natural talent, yet from some of the poorest and remote areas of the country. Some of the boys had to beg and borrow for football boots from friends and family, just to get a chance at the trials.
From Soweto to Kimberly, Bloemfontein to Richards Bay, the talented generation of aspiring footballers had a once in a lifetime chance for a future in professional football, thanks to ASPIRE.
Working closely with specially selected South African coordinators, the program invited more than 85,000 boys to try out at 100 pitches across the whole of the country. The best 50 boys were then invited to Johannesburg for the final stage of the selection process.
Training twice a day and demonstrating their physical and technical ability to the watchful ASPIRE coaches, the boys were keen to impress with their tricks and skills.
Three boys were ultimately successful and now have the chance of a lifetime to attend ASPIRE in Doha in January 2008, for the final of the project to see just who will win one of three full time scholarships to the academy.
ASPIRE's Project Manager Josep Colomer, himself responsible for finding Lionel Messi and bringing the famous Argentinean to FC Barcelona said: "The 50 boys that reached the final stage could easily be the national South African under 13 squad, they are that good. They have already overcome the toughest of challenges to reach these final stages, having competed against so many boys bidding for chance of footballing glory.
"The talent in South Africa has been truly amazing, the children have a real passion for football and finding the best talent from such a large number has been incredibly difficult. The three selected payers really are the cream of the crop."
ASPIRE Africa Football Dreams now heads north as the search for tomorrow's football stars moves to Cameroon, famous for its rich footballing heritage, before finishing with 21 of the continents top talents, three each from the seven countries in the program, trying out for the three available scholarships to the Doha based Academy.
The whole world will also be able to experience the incredible emotional journey of ASPIRE Africa Football Dreams, through the partnership with ART Sports Channel, the only sports vehicle that has a clear goal to elevate the football platform in the Arab world, and into Africa through its partnership with ASPIRE.
ASPIRE Africa Football Dreams is a partnership between ASPIRE Academy, BSM (Bonus Sports Marketing) and ART (Arab Radio and Television).
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About ASPIRE
ASPIRE, the Academy for Sports Excellence, Doha, was created with the dual aims of identifying and transforming promising student athletes into world renowned champions across a wide range of sports and to act as a beacon to draw sporting culture into the centre of life in Qatar and the surrounding region.
The Academy is distinguished by a philosophy which aims to develop the whole student, providing them with full academic, social and sporting development.
Unrivalled facilities mark the Academy out as one of the world's foremost sporting and educational institutions, and entice an ever increasing number of visitors from across the spectrum of world sports to use or simply view them.
With one indoor and seven outdoor football pitches, athletics tracks, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, diving pool, combat arenas, gymnastics arena, specially designed weight rooms, lecture halls, dormitories to accommodate what will eventually become 1,000 students, a medical centre and more besides, much beneath the world's largest purpose built indoor sports dome, every aspect of the development of elite athletes is catered for. ASPIRE is a place for those who dare to dream.
ASPIRE TODAY, INSPIRE TOMORROW www.aspire.qa
© Press Release 2007
