Local Cape Town outfit Santos took time out of their busy schedule to pay a visit to the Absa Spaces for Sport Centre in Gansbaai to partake in a coaching clinic with local youngsters from the surrounding communities.
The Absa Premiership were put through their paces in a training session in full view of the public as the community of Gansbaai had an opportunity of watching a professional football side hard at work. Two schools from the area were then invited to partake in a coaching clinic with Santos where the young footballers got an opportunity to hone their skills through various technical and tactical drills while also having the chance to interact with some of their heroes, who they only ever seen in magazines and on television.
Gansbaai, located in the heart of the Cape Floral Heritage, is a fishing village comprising of three communities that were historically segregated along racial and social borders. The community faced many challenges one of which was a lack of sporting facilities. The sports centre, which officially opened doors in 2008 provides the community with a facility that offers quality sports facilities, across a multitude of sporting codes, while simultaneously encouraging social integration, creating employment opportunities, through coaching, and honing sporting talent while also providing a venue for youth development and basic life skills.
The centre has enjoyed international recognition with the likes of American Olympic sprinter Michael Johnson, South African Paralympics Champion Oscar Pistorius and former Bafana Bafana and Leeds United defender Lucas Radebe all visiting the facility as part of a Barclays summit, Beyond Sport.