Kaiser Chiefs midfielder to kick off youth festival
Soccer has long been described as the beautiful game, a sport which was meant to unite people for the greater good.
“Everything I know about morality and the obligations of men, I owe to football,” said Albert Camus, French Noble Prize winning author, journalist and philosopher.
Soccer has long been described as the beautiful game, a sport which was meant to unite people for the greater good.
This is exactly what will be happening in June, when Siyabonga Nkosi, Kaiser Chiefs’ midfielder, will be launching the annual Siyabonga Nkosi Youth Festival.
The festival is set to take place at the Majuba College Stadium, in Madadeni.
“The youth festival has been staged in Newcastle since 2006 and has grown over the years,” Mr Nkosi said.
The success of the festival led to plans to host it provincially.
Why would a professional footballer bring a youth festival to Newcastle and Madadeni?
“The reason I started it in Newcastle, is because this is where I come from. This is where I was born and started playing.”
With his home town holding a special place in his heart, Mr Nkosi’s aim with the tournament was to find local talent and aid them in developing and nurturing their abilities and possibly achieve their dreams of playing football on a professional level.
“Through the festival, we want to encourage youth and empower them, while having programmes that address social ills,” he said.
The lavish footballing event will kick off on June 6 at oSizweni Stadium with a music concert in celebration of Youth Month.
On June 17, the opening festivities will be continued with youth from the Amajuba District showcasing their talents through dance, music, acting and comedy.
A Senior Citizens Sport Day will be held on June 10 at oSizweni Stadium to include the elderly in the festivities and promote healthy living.
The highlight of the festival will be from June 13 until June 16. During the four days, 16 teams from across the Amajuba District will battle it out in a knock-out format.
While the teams will be competing for the win, scouts from various top teams will be present to identify talent.
“We would like teams to use players who are of the age where they can go further and play professionally,” Mr Nkosi said.
The ideal ages are usually under 21 years of age.
Adding to the festivities, Newcastillians will be able to enjoy matches between KZN ladies and Gauteng Ladies, Kaiser Chiefs Legends against KZN Legends, as well as Ukhozi FM going against a celebrity team.
The tournament ends on June 17 with an awards ceremony at Blackrock Casino.
The first place winners will walk away with R19 000, medals, soccer kits and a trophy.
Second place team will be awarded R14 000, soccer kits and medals.
The third place team will win R9 000, soccer kits and medals.
Be sure to show your support to the 16 teams who will be competing to show that Amajuba District has talent.
