Australian Joeys midfielder named Parramatta Advertiser's Junior Sports Star
Soccer

4 Mar 11 @ 11:42am by Steven Deare

YIANNI Perkatis couldn’t collect his Parramatta Advertiser Junior Sports Star prize before a big applause, or even see it later that night.

When the Australian Joeys (under-17) representative was announced our winner at the presentation night at Homebush last week, he was hundreds of kilometres away in Canberra.

The Australian Institute of Sport student learnt of his win when he received an SMS from his parents.

“I got a text, ‘congratulations, you won’,” Yianni said. “I was pretty excited.”

The Merrylands 16-year-old has just finished the season with the AIS team in the National Youth League. The team consists of the same Joeys players that will contest the under-17 World Cup in Mexico in June. Playing centre midfielder, Yianni could have a big say in the team’s performance.

“We just want to qualify for the next round from the group stage and take it from there,” he said.

The former Westfield Sports High student looks up to Brazilian Kaka, and rates his own strengths as his passing range, versatility and ability with both feet.

Scouts from the world’s biggest clubs will be watching the World Cup, but Yianni wasn’t getting too excited about the prospect of an overseas contract.

“There is always the chance that will happen,” he said. “But it’s up to my performance and how the team performs.”

Yianni is in the final year of his AIS scholarship, and just wants to continue with football.

“Hopefully I get another contract, and if it’s A-League, I’d be happy.”

He wasn’t the only one smiling after the awards. Trampoline champion and Rydalmere Public School student Megan Adams won the Advertiser’s Young Achiever Award.

The honour is awarded to a star who has excelled not only with their sporting abilities, but shown dedication to training with a fair-minded approach.

The overall winner of the Cumberland Courier Junior Sports Star award was kayaker Jessica Fox from Penrith, a gold medallist at the Youth Olympic Games, and the ICF World Cup. She was also the 2010 NSW Institute of Sport Junior Athlete of the Year award.

http://parramatta-advertiser.whereilive.com.au/sport/story/yiannis-our-sports-star/