UKZN Links with AmaZulu Football Club

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UKZN’s Biokinetics, Exercise and Leisure Science (BELS) division has formed a collaboration with the AmaZulu Football Club to provide postgraduate students with an opportunity to work more closely with a professional football team.

BELS Academic Leader, Dr Rowena Naidoo says the link encourages direct contact and co-operation between staff, students and the football club. ‘AmaZulu FC will provide valuable hands on learning opportunities to our postgraduate students,’ said Naidoo.

The opportunities are partly limited to the AmaZulu junior structures (U13 – U19), with students delivering training programmes designed by the AmaZulu High Performance Manager, Mr Joshua Smith. According to Smith, students will also assist in sport science testing and assessment on all performance levels.

‘We finalised our link-up with the UKZN honours programme students at the end of September,’ said Smith. ’It’s a win-win setup, in that we provide the students with valuable practical time on the field, and they provide us with their skill-set and knowledge of strength and conditioning,’ Smith said.

‘I have really enjoyed interacting with the students and seeing the conditioning coaches and sport scientists of the future working with the Usuthu youth teams. A big thank you to Dr Rowena Naidoo, the head of the BELS division, who was fundamental in facilitating the co-operation. We look forward to watching this grow from strength to strength,’ added Smith.

Words: Nombuso Dlamini

Photograph: Supplied