Young soccer stars can teach Bafana Bafana a thing or two on global stage
The soccer teams from Dream Possible Tours 9, hosted by Life Zone based in Kensigton, placed first and second in a three week long international soccer tour, beating teams from Sweden, Finland and Norway.
Image: Ayanda Ndamane/ Independent Media
MOVE over Percy Tau, there is an 11-year-old Cape Town boy who could not stop scoring during a recent international an international youth tournament in Sweden where his team brought home the Gold medal.
Vellentino Dolan from Heideveld had no doubt that they had the right formula to emerge as champions of the Piteå Summer Games, one of Sweden’s largest youth football events, featuring over 930 teams, 2,249 matches and nearly 13 000 players from around the world.
Identified as one of the standout players, the Grade five Heideveld Primary learner said scoring goals was the best part for him. He scored 36 goals during the tour, making him top goal scorer for Life Zone Sports Academy.
“I believed in my teammates, so I thought we could win. I’m excited and happy, it was a really good experience. I train a lot, mostly at home with my friends. I just did my best with what I had.”
Young soccer player Vellentino Dolan from Heideveld stood out on the field, finishing as the team’s top goal scorer.
Image: Ayanda Ndamane/ Independent Media
The young players from the Life Zone Sports Academy based in Factreton were up against 91 teams from 16 countries. The competition took place from June 27–29.
The team was made up of players from communities such as Factreton, Heideveld, and Kuilsriver, among others.
LifeZone, a nonprofit behind the initiative of taking a local youth team to compete abroad, has long been committed to youth development through sport.
The youngsters returned home on Thursday to a warm welcome after completing the DreamPossible 9 Tour, Life Zone’s ninth international outreach, led by founder Reverend Jeremy Wyngaard.
This year’s tour included two squads, the boys under-12 team and a girls under-14 team.
Following their gold-medal win in Piteå, the boys also went on to secure second place at the Storsjö Cup in Östersund (July 2–5).
For 12-year-old Samuel October from Kuilsriver, the highlight of the tour was “definitely winning the final”.
“We were confident and trusted God to guide us. I train twice a week and also at home. I’ve been playing since I was seven, my dad signed me up for a club and I’ve loved the game ever since. I’ve learned that you should always push yourself, even when it’s hard,” he said.
Cape Times