Al Baraka Bank South Africa and the Association of Muslim Schools (AMS) on Tuesday launched the upcoming KZN Regional Tournaments for soccer and netball.
This year’s campaign is centred around the theme of “Kickstart Your Future”. The initiative focuses on youth development and building leadership skills through athletic participation.
“I think it’s important when opportunities like this come to us to support sport development in the country, we need to get involved,” said Nasir Seedat, general manager of retail and wealth at Al Baraka Bank.
“We know what sport has a major role to play from a unity point of view. If you look at post-apartheid when the Rugby World Cup and what is done for the country, I think we know the benefits of sport and hence we get involved with these type of initiatives to support our youngsters.”
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Regional schools unite for soccer and netball
The soccer tournament takes place on 9 May 2026 at Hartley Road Primary School, Al Falaah College and Ridge Park College. Over 19 schools and 18 teams will travel from across the province. Participants are coming from as far as Newcastle, Pietermaritzburg, and the South Coast. Organisers expect over 3,000 spectators to create an electrifying atmosphere during the final matches.
“We look forward to them coming down. I encourage whoever wants to watch good sport and a nice Islamic environment and healthy, friendly rivalry can make their way down to our tournament for the weekend,” said Zain Muhammad, principal at Al Falaah College and Association of Muslim Schools (AMS) sports coordinator.
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Dedicated tournament for female learners
The following weekend focuses on the AMS Netball tournament at Hoy Park. This ladies-only event takes place on 16 May 2026. The tournament allows grannies, mothers, and children to support the young athletes.
“It’s going to be great and we’re hoping the weather is going to hold up. We want to promote healthy competition. We’re out there to have fun and it’s a lovely, friendly match but at the end of the day, everyone wants to win,” stated Zuleika Mansoor, principal of Crescent Girls High School.
Al Baraka Bank will host activation stands at all tournament venues. They want to educate parents and students about financial planning. The bank aims to improve the low retirement statistics in the country. Visitors can participate in various competitions to win cash prizes.
