19 September 2017: The official ceremonial handover of the SAB League 2017/18 football technical training kit took place at the SAB World of Beer in Newtown, Johannesburg, Gauteng.
This is one of several technical kit handovers that will see the South African Football Association (SAFA) and South African Breweries (SAB) embark on a national roadshow to magnify the fundamentals and importance of training at grassroots level in local football.
The technical kits, which consists of soccer balls, training cones, whistles and stopwatches are an aid of assisting the multitude of SAB League teams across the country in their preparations ahead of the next season.
The SAB League, which has been running for the past 17 years, continues to provide a platform for the identification of the country’s finest grassroots football talent.
SAB Better World Project Manager, Kalashni Narainsamy said: “It is always such an honour for us to partake in activities that place importance on the fundamentals of football training as a whole. With this handover, SAB seeks to provide the lower league teams with similar equipment and tools as with the Premier League teams. One should never underestimate the importance of training equipment in that it truly forms an important part of the foundations of grassroots development, which is something that SAB has always been passionate about”.
“We do not only want to uplift teams within the various communities, but also assist them where it matters most and that is with resources” Narainsamy concluded.
This was further highlighted by SAFA Technical Director, Neil Tovey, “Lack of knowledge and equipment in football can negatively influence the development of the sport. We encourage programmes such as these as they are ideal for growth at lower football levels to take place, communities in and around the country need sponsored resources. What SAB is doing, particularly as a company within the private sector speaks volumes to how they foresee the future of football. It all starts with the right equipment.”
For over two decades, the SAB League has been dedicated to the holistic development of football in South Africa. Players such as former Orlando Pirates striker Phumudzo Manenzhe, current SuperSport United midfielder Reneilwe Letsholonyane and Orlando Pirates defender Happy Jele are some of the players who have come through the SAB League.
Their development began with ensuring that the fundamentals of development were executed fittingly and efficiently. The National Kit Handovers are some of the key components that play a significant part in the growth of football as a sport.
One of the SAB League’s core and key objectives as SAFA’s largest football development league in the country is to identify and nurture talented athletes from grassroots level and to provide them with an opportunity to fully grow and move through the various ranks of football in South Africa.
The National kit Handovers will take place in the remaining provinces throughout the months of September and October 2017. All dates and venues will be communicated in due course.