Johannesburg, 25 May 2012 –
Former Bafana Bafana striker, Shaun Bartlett aged 39, has been appointed by Nestlé
MILO as the Tournament Ambassador for the 2012 Nestlé MILO Champions Tournament.
Shaun’s appointment marks the fifth year anniversary of the Nestlé MILO Champions Tournament and unites his love of football and children, with Nestlé’s passion for sports development and vision of a healthier lifestyle for children in South Africa.
Nestlé MILO is proud to have Shaun Bartlett on board as the
tournament’s ambassador because he is a role model to many children in South
Africa who aspire to build professional careers by playing the beautiful
game. In recognition of his role in
football and the impact he has on the lives of these youngsters, Shaun also
runs his own football academy for children, called ‘The Shaun Bartlett Football
Academy,’ which uses professional guidance in football development and training
as a gateway to impart life skills and encourage academic aspirations.
“Shaun truly understands what it means for children to lead a
healthy lifestyle, not just through sports, but also through eating healthy nutritional
food, and that is what makes him the best choice as the 2012 Nestlé MILO Champions
Tournament ambassador. At Nestlé, it is our vision to encourage children to
lead healthier lifestyles, both nutritionally and physically,” comments Kelly
Wainwright, Nestlé South Africa Marketing Manager for Beverages.
All provincial champions can look forward to seeing Shaun at the
National Finals in September where some of South Africa’s best U13 players from
across nine provinces will compete against one another for the number one spot
- to represent South Africa at the 2014 MILO African Champions Tournament. Thus far, one school from KZN and Limpopo
provinces have each qualified for the National Finals, and the countdown has
begun for seven more schools from the remaining provinces to qualify for this
exciting football spectacular in their young lives.
“This is a great opportunity for me to continue to do what I’ve
been doing – making sure that I can develop young talent in South Africa, and
also teach these aspiring footballers how to lead a healthy lifestyle. I think that the younger you teach these boys
that what you put into your life is what you get out; the more they will carry
it as a life lesson throughout their whole lives. So I really am honoured to be the 2012 Nestlé
MILO Champions Tournament ambassador, and I hope I will be able to instil and
inspire the boys to live and play positively – on and off the field,” says
Shaun Bartlett, Nestlé MILO Champions Tournament Ambassador for 2012.
