Ntandoyenkosi Nsusha
Young aspiring soccer stars from Durban and surrounding areas are invited to join the Bridge Sports Programme which offers an opportunity for them to play soccer and receive world class education in different universities in the United States of America through the organisation’s scholarship initiative.
Founder of the Bridge Sports Programme, Gabriel Van Wyk said he is bridging the international boundaries to ensure that KwaZulu-Natal youth get a fair chance at following their dreams of becoming world class football starts. “If you are between the ages of 16 and 21 years and have aspirations of going to university or college to play soccer and receive world education, then these showcases are for you. The Bridge Sports Programme offers a scholarship and an opportunity to compete amongst other athletes looking to secure their future in the United States of America,” said Van Wyk.
The graduate from Houghton College said through a series of soccer tournaments across Durban, talent is discovered and selected for the Bridge Sports Programme scholarship. “We already have 43 players who are abroad and this year more than 14 players have advanced to the United States of America through our programme. Everything is performance based, the players need to impress our team of coaches in-order to secure the all expenses paid scholarship which also covers travel costs to overseas,” said Van Wyk.
He said giving back to development has always been a dream of his. “I work with the likes of former Bafana Bafana player Delron Buckley who is the head of recruitment, Chief Operator of the programme, Dylan Cox and Enoch Showunmi who is a former professional soccer player of Leeds United to scout and nurture young talent for the big stages of their soccer careers,” he added.
Soccer teams are encouraged to invite Van Wyk to scout talent during any soccer tournaments or matches. For more information on the programme players can send an email to info@bridgesportsfoundation.com or send a message on Facebook to Bridge Sports Foundation and Instagram at bridge_sports1.
