JOHANNESBURG – Hyundai Automotive South Africa recently announced the appointment of Seam Sports cc to roll out promotional and community upliftment projects in the run-up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Seam Sports will be responsible for rolling out its Hyundai Fast Furious Futbol concept at venues across the country. Seam Sports will also arrange and manage Football Clinics in underprivileged areas through their “Sports 4 Poverty” initiative on behalf of Hyundai.
The Fast Furious Futbol concept is based on “Four versus Four” Football games played within a fully-enclosed, portable and inflatable arena. The basics of Footballing Technique – Triangular Play – are put to the test in the high-paced games with speed of movement and positional play being of importance.
The introduction of a “Flying Keeper” within the Fast Furious Futbol concept is sure to add to the speed, fun and excitement of the 6-minute long, non-stop, one-way games; with “shooting on goal” from varying parts of the Arena now becoming an integral and testing part of the game.
“As a global FIFA partner and with the 2009 Confederations Cup fast approaching we were looking for a way to not only promote Hyundai through football, but at the same time we were also looking for ways in which we could involve communities that may not have the opportunity to attend a Confederations Cup or World Cup match,” said Stanley Anderson, Marketing Director at Hyundai South Africa. “Seam Sports offered us an opportunity to achieve both our goals through the Hyundai Fast Furious Futbol and “Sports 4 Poverty” initiatives.”
Hyundai has a lot of experience in the 5-a-side format of the game. In the run-up to the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, Hyundai hosted a 5-a-side tournament in Soweto at what is today called Hyundai Park. This tournament involved teams from across the Gauteng region and afforded the eventual winner an opportunity to participate in a global 5-a-side tournament which was also held Germany. The winning team of the South African tournament eventually went on to win the global tournament as well.
“Sports 4 Poverty” is a community-based initiative which events are either held on their own within the community or in conjunction with the Fast Furious Futbol concept. Grass-roots level Sports Development in South Africa is critically important from a community point of view. During “Sports 4 Poverty” coaching clinics, local School Children are professionally coached in the basics of football whilst at the same time being taught and reminded of basic Life-skills, both of which will hopefully stand them in good stead as they grow up into our next Generation of sports-loving South Africans. An important aspect of the “Sports 4 Poverty” Clinics is that nominated Elders/Sports-interested adults from the local community are invited to partake in the Clinic itself and work with the SEAM Sports Coaches. In so doing, continuity of sports standards and the sustainability thereof within the Community is ensured long-term.
“The 2010 FIFA World Cup is all about leaving a sustainable legacy,” commented Anderson. “To achieve this we need to ensure that our initiatives impact positively on the communities that need it the most.
“Through the “Sports 4 Poverty” initiative Hyundai aims to achieve just that. We aim to teach kids the fundamentals of the sport whilst keeping them active and engaged. Hopefully they pick up valuable life skills along the way that will put them in good stead for the future. And if a few of them end up becoming star football players, now that would just be a bonus.”
