King Edward School competes for outside gym

King Edward School, Gauteng was one of the schools that competed in the Coca-Cola® 30 Minute Heroes Challenge, a competition introduced to schools participating in the Coca-Cola® T20 schools Cricket Challenge and aimed at getting learners to participate in physical activity. 

The concept encourages as many learners as possible to complete a five drill circuit within a 30 minute period. The scores will only be made public once all schools have completed their challenge. The school that completes the most circuits in the allotted time frame stands a chance to win a prize of an outdoor gym to the value of two hundred thousand rand, which will be installed at the winning school.

Christopher Hammond, a teacher and sports coach at KES was pleased with the fantastic turnout on the day with 300 boys eager to take part in the challenge. “Most of the pupils that participated came from our boarding school and we invited every sports team to come along as well. The cricket that participated in the Coca-Cola® T20 Schools Challenge went first. The biggest surprise of the day was to see the basketball boys breezing through the skipping station, which most of the others struggled with.”

Hammond summed up the day, “The Coca-Cola® 30 Minute Heroes Challenge is not just a fun event, it is a well thought out and excellent set-up, even the music suited the age group of the boys.”

King Edwards is out of the Coca-Cola® T20 Schools Challenge after losing to St Stithians in the Gauteng semi-finals. “Most of our top players finished school last year so we have a new team on board. They are young talented players and we are sure to be back in the finals of the tournament next season.”

The five drills in the Coca-Cola 30 Minute Heroes Challenge include:

1.    Shuttle runs between 6 beacons, moving a cricket ball from one   beacon to the next.

2.    Target Throwing at a set of wickets.

3.    Skipping with a skipping rope.

4.    Catching balls off a rebound board.

5.    Weaving in and out of 10 slalom poles.

The Coca-Cola® T20 Schools Challenge is about making heroes,” explains Fetsi Mbele, Coca-Cola® South Africa Marketing Assets Manager. “This grass roots tournament is where heroes are unearthed and then progress through to the Coca-Cola® Khaya Majola Cricket Week, an annual tournament, sponsored by Coca-Cola South Africa for over 30 years. It has to date produced over 200 Proteas players.”

“Through our Coca-Cola® T20 30 Minute Hero Challenge we are encouraging all scholars in the country to adopt a physically active lifestyle that will become a lifelong practice,” said Mbele.