SOCCER WORLD CUP NOT FORGOTTEN AS THE MAGIC CONTINUES ON THE STREETS

The magic of the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup continues a couple of years after the bruising final. Two years later, the tsamayas and shibobos will continue in the streets, as the third edition of KIA Street Soccer takes place. Following the success of the inaugural programme during the 2010 World Cup, where 20 communities were reached, the project has branched out to Port Elizabeth and Welkom.

Youth sports development agency Sporting Chance, in association with title sponsor KIA Motors, associate sponsor Foodzone, clothing sponsor Millé, logistical partner Dawn Wing; and with media partners Supersport Let's Play and Good Hope fm, will once again bring soccer to the streets of Johannesburg, Cape Town, Pretoria, Durban, Port Elizabeth and Welkom as 5600 children under 13 participate.

Co-ordinated by Sporting Chance, the Kia Street Soccer programme, supported by FIFA, SAFA and the PSL, brings soccer directly to the kids who need it most and where they need it most. The communities in the 40 regions face tough socioeconomic challenges, and lack adequate facilities and quality coaching.

Media Partner: Good Hope FM	Media Partner: Let's Play

"The street is the perfect venue for kids to come together and do something positive and healthy," says Bing, MD of Sporting Chance. "Many of them have no place to go where they can socialize in a safe and healthy environment. Why not turn the streets we have for too long perceived as being dangerous, into a stage where life lessons can be taught, friendships forged and communities entertained?"

Kia Street Soccer is played on a round robin basis. Twenty teams of 6 players each are entered into each regional league. Matches are played on a weekly basis to the end of August, where it culminates in a National final in early September.

The project is three-phased:
· An educational health tour visits all the participating communities. In addition to activities designed to show and share the importance of physical activity, nutrition, personal hygiene and TB awareness, the sessions also cover key issues of road safety, sports etiquette, conflict resolution, and environmental awareness, encouraging learners to take pride in the environment.

· Train the coaches: 800 coaches are trained by the respective PSL clubs who use these coaches to assist them to identify natural and raw talent.
· The Kia Street Soccer league

"The 2010 Soccer World Cup must be more than a pleasant memory for South Africans," says Kia Motors South Africa CEO Ray Levin. "It must leave a lasting legacy of promise, showing all South Africans that dreams can come true, even for the most humble. This is the time to grab the excitement generated by Bafana Bafana and carry it through to grass roots level."