Mini-cricket a ‘2nd home’ for Atteridgeville kids
Mini-cricket festival is attended by Titans coaches.
More than 300 kids from 15 different schools recently attended the KFC Mini-Cricket community festival in Atteridgeville.
KFC in partnership with Cricket South Africa (CSA) said that the event has been travelling to 16 cricketing provinces and wants to remind people that mini-cricket is alive and well.
The event took place at Attridgeville’s Masopha Oval on Saturday morning and was attended by coaches from the Titans cricket team.
Titans captain Sibonelo Makhanya said that the success he has garnered in life is attributed to the sport.
“I feel at home here,” said Makhanya.
“My cricket journey began at the age of 10 in KZN when a friend asked me to play in a mini-cricket game as they were short of players, and I have never looked back.
“That day I knew I had found my sport of choice. The following year I was playing in the under-11 KZN team. Cricket allowed me to go to Glenwood high school and I finally finished my schooling at Durban Boys. I owe my success to cricket. Now it is my chance to motivate these youngsters and show them what cricket can do for you if you remain dedicated and passionate.”
CSA’s mass participation manager, David Mokopanele, also attended the event.
He said that the festival not only unearths professional cricketers, but creates fans as well.
“This year, instead of the main provincial stadium, the festivals will move back to grassroots to community fields. Hopes are that we reach every child in the country and provide them with the opportunity to play the sport. We want to celebrate the programme while we build the stars of tomorrow,” Mokopanele said.
KFC spokesperson Andra Nel praised the Titans cricket community for its participation. Nel said that the festival gave kids the chance to play on a level field and addressed any challenges they may have been facing.
“We are proud to be a partner in cricket and allow our youth to play the game they love and give them a chance to dream and achieve goals,” said Nel.
Event organiser and Northerns cricket coordinator Ofentse Ranoto said that through the effort, in partnership with the education department, they can feed kids a healthy meal a day in regions across Tshwane.
“We want our kids to know that, besides their parents or families they live with, they have a second home with us. Today’s festival is about kids coming together and understanding that they are not alone. We are all there to support them. Everyone must feel at home, whether the kids, teachers or coaches,” Ranoto said.
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