18-hour football marathon raises funds and hope for young talent

Johannesburg, August 30, 2011 – Sunrise on Saturday saw 250 football players test their endurance to the extreme at Ambassadors in Sport’s (AIS) Match for a Day tournament at the Legends football arena in Randburg.

The 18-hour “winner stays on” tournament is held annually in support of AIS’s primary project, its Hope Academies where disadvantaged youngsters with a flair for football receive intensive traiing, as well as being taught life skills and receiving educational and other assistance. Ambassadors in Sport Africa (AIS) is a non-profit organisation that aims to bring a message of hope and enable disadvantaged youngsters to achieve their full potential through the medium of football.

The day kicked off at with Soweto based team Logos FC taking on Cosmo Conquerors. Logos won the game and went on a winning streak that saw them play until 10am. The format allowed for two winners. The first being the team that won the most consecutive matches and the second being the team that was Last Team Standing at midnight.

The next team to put in a great performance came from Hope Academy partner LegalWise. They won three matches before being defeated by eventual winners Gr8Gifts Legends. They came on at 4pm and won all their matches making them the last team standing at midnight. Their top scorer scored an incredible 26 goals, making for an epic performance from the team representing two of the events key partners – Gr8Gifts and Legends Arena.

The other endurance event involved the AIS All Stars, a team made up of AIS patrons who were willing to play for the full 18 hours in order to raise funds for the organisation. In the 18-hour period they played 17 matches and won half of their matches. Team captain Jean Raath called the event "unforgettable" and the team were both "elated and exhausted" when they completed the marathon event at midnight.

In total, around 250 players participated in the soccer marathon. Celebrity guests to the event included AIS Hope Academy patron and SA football star Matthew Booth. Former Bafana Bafana star John Moeti also participated and played on the AIS All Star team for four hours.

Tim Tucker, AIS Africa director, said "The event has been a huge success and we're so grateful to key event partners, Basil Read, LegalWise, Big Save, Gr8 Gifts and Legends Arena, as well as to our supporters, other sponsors and all who took part. The Hope Academy project will not only benefit through the R30 000 raised on the day, but also through the awareness we were able to generate of the ongoing work we're doing in the community."

The weekend also saw the launch of AIS’s launch new Hope Academy website – www.aishopeacademy.org, which features a special opportunity for individuals and businesses to support the Hope Academy through the Fan Club initiative. Visit the site to find out how you can become involved.