Gary Kirsten Foundation launches talent scouting PowerPlayers’ initiative.

South Africa has a wealth of hidden sporting talent just waiting to be uncovered, but for many would-be sports’ stars, limited opportunity is provided for them to showcase these superior skills or support offered to harness these talents. The Gary Kirsten Foundation’s PowerPlayer initiative, launched in Khayelitsha on 2 September, is set to provide opportunities through a series of exciting cricket challenges based primarily in the nation’s township areas.

‘There is a real need to develop sporting talent in our country and, for the most part, the talent is out there, we just need to find it and nurture it,’ said Gary Kirsten, trustee of the Gary Kirsten Foundation. ‘We are very excited about the PowerPlayer initiative which, through a national rollout, will see youngsters discovering their own talent in the cricket arena in a fun, no–pressure environment. By doing this, we are hoping to find and train future professional cricketers and coaches.’

The PowerPlayer initiative comprises a set of fun cricketing challenges, aimed at testing the various cricketing skills. These will include throwing, batting, fielding and bowling challenges whereby competitors will be given a chance to earn points at each challenge station, with the ‘ultimate’ PowerPlayer accumulating the most points. There will also be prizes awarded to those who score highest for the various categories.

Plans are currently underway to host PowerPlayer challenges at various schools and clubs in township and city locations around the country going forwards. Corporates will also be given the opportunity to sponsor events and participate in the fun team-building activities while giving youngsters a chance to show off their skills.

‘The PowerPlayer initiative is primarily a talent scouting platform whereby young, aspiring cricketers are given the opportunity to test their skills through the various challenges,’ said Kirsten. ‘We are hoping to discover some raw potential that we can help to refine, honing their skills for the professional game through our academy.’

Any youngsters who show some promise in one area or another can then join the Gary Kirsten Foundation’s High Performance squad. Here they will benefit from highly-skilled cricket coaching and support that will see them develop into cricketing stars.

Photo: Carl Fourie/Gary Kirsten Foundation/Gallo Images