Great Excitement as the KFC Mini-Cricket Provincial Festivals resume for the 2021/22 season

 

KFC Mini-Cricket Provincial Festivals resume for the 2021/22 season

 

 

South Africa’s leading cricket development programme - KFC Mini-Cricket, is set to resume when the provincial festivals kick-off on 18th February across the country.

 

The season restart coincides with the 12^th anniversary of KFC’ sponsorship of the Mini-Cricket programme that provides an enjoyable but more importantly, safe environment for the kid to get active and have fun.

 

The KFC Mini-Cricket programme has touched the hearts of many communities as it introduces kids not only to the fundamentals of cricket, but also to traits and values to become the best versions of themselves. It forms a critical foundation step in the development of South Africa’s future cricketing heroes and is the first step in Cricket South Africa’s ‘pipeline to the Proteas.’

                                                                                                                                                            

The KFC Mini-Cricket 2020-21 campaign was an unorthodox one, as the programme had to adapt to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The usual blockbuster festival had to be scaled down into a series of smaller activations and the annual seminars, which usually attract the top Mini-Cricket volunteers and administrators in one venue, had to be hosted virtually.

 

However, with the country’s lockdown restrictions being reduced to level 1, the programme organisers are thrilled to bring smiles once again to the kids by allowing them to do what they love, playing the game of cricket.

 

“We are really excited that we can host provincial festivals again. Like everything else in South Africa, the programme was heavily affected by the pandemic and through our season theme of “Imvuselelo” or “Recovery” we are looking forward to continuing our journey back to normality by hosting the festivals,” said KFC CSI Manager Andra Ferreira Nel.

 

Through the help and hard work of the KFC Mini-Cricket coaches and coordinators, the kids will once again get an opportunity to play their favourite sport and create new friendships and unforgettable moments of laughter on the field in a more safe and secure way.

 

“These inspiring individuals epitomise all that is great about South Africa. Their selfless dedication allows the programme to be all-inclusive and teach the kids important life skills whilst they get active in a fun and healthy way by playing a sport that they love. They champion the spirit of community by keeping the Mini Cricket fire burning in their corners of our country and we could not be more proud to partner with them for the coming season,” continued Ferreira Nel.

 

However, safety is still an important factor in ensuring a safe and secure environment for the Mini-Cricketers while they showcase their talent on the field.

 

“We are excited to resume the 2021/22 KFC Mini-Cricket season. However, we are still aware that the pandemic has not ended, and safety will still be a priority with all protocols still having to be observed in the upcoming seminars and festivals,” reassured CSA Mass participation manager David Mokopanele.

 

“The majority of our administrators and volunteers have been vaccinated. We hope this will go a long way towards increasing the safety within the KFC Mini-Cricket season, allowing us to get more kids active for a sustained period this season,” Mokopanele concluded.

 

Since the inception of the programme, a total number of 2.5 million kids have played KFC Mini-Cricket and over 120 players have gone on to represent various national teams. And over 6 600 schools across the country joined the programme.

 

 

About KFC Mini-Cricket

KFC Mini-Cricket provides a platform for kids in South Africa to have fun and get active. KFC Mini-Cricket is the largest grassroots development sports programme in South Africa and is also an essential building block for learning cricketing basics and entrenching a love for the game. 

 

In the previous full season, 2019/20 there were over 126 000 kids from over 6600 schools active in the KFC Mini-Cricket programme who are coached by over 13 600 volunteer coaches. Year on year there are a minimum of 45 000 matches played each year. KFC has sponsored KFC Mini-Cricket since 2010 and in the 2012/13 cricket season KFC became the title sponsor of the KFC T20 Internationals.

 

 

Date		Event
18-Feb	Friday	Mpumalanga
05-Mar	Saturday	SWD
11-Mar	Friday	Western Province
12-Mar	Saturday	Boland
16-Mar	Wednesday	Kei
17-Mar	Thursday	Border
19-Mar	Saturday	EP
30-Mar	Wednesday	Limpopo
08-Apr	Friday	Northern Cape
09-Apr	Saturday	Free-State
22-Apr	Friday	KZN Inland
23-Apr	Saturday	KZN Coastal
29-Apr	Friday	Easterns
30-Apr	Saturday	CGL

KFC MINI-CRICKET NATIONAL SEMINAR IS BACK FOR THE 2021/22 SEASON

 

Cricket South Africa (CSA) and KFC will be celebrating the country’s largest development programme, KFC Mini-Cricket at this season’s edition of the KFC Mini-Cricket national seminar.  

Over 80 KFC Mini-Cricket volunteer coaches and coordinators will be making their way to the annual National Seminar held in Limpopo from the 3rd and 6th October 2021.

KFC Mini-Cricket national seminar makes its return after a year-long halt due to the Covid19 pandemic. The annual seminar aims to not only empower and educate coaches but also to honour their contribution in their respective communities.

“The Mini-Cricket programme has over the year been a launch-pad for buddying cricket talent in the country. It is responsible for producing some of the cricket household names that continue to do us proud. This seminar sets to tone for more development work, which is in line with CSA’s mission”

 

The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has affected many industries and posed the same challenges for the KFC Mini-Cricket. This season’s theme is “Umvuselelo” a Nguni word meaning to reawaken and will see games being played on a more regular and consistent basis once again. With kids returning to play across the country, there is great excitement to have all children play the game they love.

 “On behalf of Cricket South Africa, I would like to sincerely thank KFC for this partnership that has delivered a lot of value to cricket and facilitated the reach of the sport of cricket, especially to areas that really require grassroots support. I would also like to thank the coaches and the coordinators who continue to put it all together year-in and year-out, including everyone else who is involved in making this a viable vehicle for nurturing cricket talent at school and community levels.  This partnership has allowed all of us to collectively support this noble endeavour of expanding cricket’s reach,” said Mr Pholetsi Moseki, CSA’s Acting Chief Executive Officer.

 

Since inception, the programme has seen more than 2,5 million kids participating in the KFC Mini-Cricket programme and continues to be a driving force for strong national teams. As KFC and CSA cement 12 years of partnership, the programme has experienced exponential growth with the number of kids taking part increasing from around 89 000 per season to over 126 000.

 

KFC CSI Manager, Andra Ferreira Nel, elaborates on the exciting expectations of the country’s pre-eminent grassroots sporting development programme.

 

 “As a brand we take the theme of ‘umvuselelo’ to heart. This is a time for reconnection, rebuilding and coming together as a nation under the incredible KFC Mini-Cricket programme.

 

The grassroot programme has stood tall against some of our recent societal challenges. We thank our committed partners, CSA, and the respective KFC Mini-Cricket programme structures for their unwavering support to ensure that kids in all communities are introduced to the beautiful game of cricket. We look forward to the KFC Mini-Cricket season ahead and we will work together to ensure a bright foundation is laid for our future heroes,” said Andra Ferreira Nel, KFC CSI Manager, KFC South Africa.

 

“This year’s KFC Mini-Cricket national seminar also comes at a time when KFC, South Africa’s most loved brand, is celebrating 50 years of sharing its famous Original Recipe with South Africa. The KFC Mini-Cricket coaches and coordinators are the unsung heroes in the programme and are part of the reason the programme is a success. We want to make sure that those unsung heroes in KFC Mini-Cricket are part of the celebrations,” adds Nel.

 

The KFC Mini-Cricket programme continues to be of the most impactful development programmes in the South African sporting landscape and goes far beyond the game of cricket. The sport brings youngsters from across diverse backgrounds together and not only introduces them to the game of cricket but also allows them to get active.

 

For more information on the KFC Mini-Cricket programme visit https://order.kfc.co.za/minicricket/minicrickethome or contact CSA at (011) 880 – 2810.

 

 

KFC Mini-Cricket Regional Festival: Limpopo - 18-19 May 2021

 

It has been over a year in the making but the wait is finally over for aspiring cricketers as the KFC Mini-Cricket programme resumed its on-field action this month and recently held KFC Mini-Cricket Regional Festivals in Limpopo earlier this week

 

Over the two days of socially distanced fun, excitement and promising displays at the crease, Cricket South Africa (CSA) in partnership with KFC visited Phalaborwa on Tuesday, 18 May, where they hosted Rethusitswe Primary and Phondo Primary, along with 68 kids and 22 volunteer coaches.

 

The next day, the festivities moved to Bochum in Polokwane, where a similar number of boys and girls, and their coaches from Rapoho Primary, Mangwoto Primary and Maswene Primary, got to interact with CSA mascot, ZAC as well as Proteas Team Manager, Kgomotso ‘Volvo’ Masubulele – who is originally from Limpopo.

 

These KFC Mini-Cricket Regional Festivals form part of a 2020/21 KFC Mini-Cricket season relaunch undertaken by CSA to help provide an enjoyable but more importantly, safe environment for the kids to get active after a prolonged absence due to the restrictions caused by the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.

 

Ahead of the resumption, to ensure the players, coaches and teachers’ safety, KFC Mini-Cricket identified non-hotspot regions across the country where non-contact school sport can take place.

 

They have also procured Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and sanitisers for all participating schools, provided extra playing equipment to limit sharing between players, as well as arrange additional personnel to help facilitate the COVID-19 protocols for each school.

 

CSA’s Mass Participation Coordinator, Buhle Motshegoa is pleased with how the Limpopo-leg of the KFC Mini-Cricket Regional Festivals went, highlighting the immense passion for the game that exists, as well as the bright talent on show in the province. A province that produced the likes of former Proteas Women’s star, Mercia Letsoalo, Titans coach, Mandla Mashimbyi and legendary South African fast bowler, Dale Steyn.

 

“We are extremely happy that the 2020/21 KFC Mini-Cricket season was able to get underway in the form of the Regional Festivals and that we once again get to see our mini cricketers and coaches play with smiles on their faces,” Motshegoa commented.

 

“As soon as we arrived in Phalaborwa, you could sense the positive energy, and passion for the sport in all those involved in making the two-day cricketing spectacle a resounding success, while we adhered to the strict COVID-19 health regulations.

 

“Although getting kids active in a fun and enjoyable way is the main goal, we also got to witness some sensational talent on the field, between both the boys and girls. This bodes well, not only for the growth of the KFC Mini-Cricket programme but also for the South African cricket pipeline,” she added.

 

About KFC Mini-Cricket:

 

KFC Mini-Cricket provides a platform for kids in South Africa to have fun and get active. KFC Mini-Cricket is the largest grassroots development sports programme in South Africa and is also an essential building block for learning cricketing basics and entrenching a love for the game.

 

As of the 2019/2020 season, there are 126 642 kids from 6617 schools active in the KFC Mini-Cricket programme who are coached by 13 673 volunteer coaches. KFC has sponsored KFC Mini-Cricket since 2010 and in the 2012/13 cricket season KFC became the title sponsor of the KFC T20 Internationals.

 

For more information, please visit https://order.kfc.co.za/minicricket/minicrickethome.

 

Image List (With Captions):

 

• Paballo Mogofe (Ruthusitwe Primary School) showing great bowling technique as the action heats up during the 2021 KFC Mini Cricket Regional Festival at Ruthusitwe Primary School in Phalaborwa on the 18 May 2021 ©Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix

 

• Dumisani Manyama (Thusetso Primary School) getting ready to execute a beautiful pull shot during the 2021 KFC Mini Cricket Regional Festival at Ruthusitwe Primary School in Phalaborwa on the 18 May 2021 ©Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix

 

• CSA Mascot ZAC posing with KFC Mini-Cricket team from Rethusitswe Primary after getting active during the 2021 KFC Mini Cricket Regional Festival at Ruthusitwe Primary School in Phalaborwa on the 18 May 2021 ©Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix

 

• Volvo Masubelele (CSA Protea Team Manager) coaches Moloko Mapasha (Magwato Primary School) during the 2021 KFC Mini Cricket Activation at Rapoho Primary School in Bochum on the 19 May 2021 ©Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix

 

• Issac Senatla (Framework U16 Boys) helping Dimakatso Diala (Rapoho Primary School) with her bowling action during the 2021 KFC Mini Cricket Activation at Rapoho Primary School in Bochum on the 19 May 2021 ©Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix

KFC Mini-Cricket brings the fun to kids in Eastern Cape - Kei Cricket

 

The time has finally arrived for the youngsters in parts of the Eastern Cape to get active again and play with joy in their hearts and smiles on their faces as the KFC Mini-Cricket Activation Programme visits schools in Ngqeleni, Centane, Lusikisiki and Bizana this week between 27-28 May 2021.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) in partnership with KFC hosted four thrilling cricket spectacles featuring the official CSA mascot, ZAC, and provincial ambassadors including Border Cricket stalwart and ex-Protea, Mfuneko Ngam and Momentum Proteas’ Zintle Mali, who engaged with the learners.

The first stop was at the Old Bunting Junior Secondary School in Ngqeleni before they proceeded to Tiyo Soga Primary School in Centane later in the day. The week was rounded off by activations at Masobhuza Primary School in Lusikisiki and finally, Esitofini Primary School.

These KFC Mini-Cricket Activation Programme form part of a 2020/21 KFC Mini-Cricket season relaunch undertaken by CSA to help provide an enjoyable but more importantly, safe environment for the kids to get active after a prolonged absence caused by the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.

Ahead of the resumption, to ensure the players, coaches and teachers’ safety, KFC Mini-Cricket identified non-hotspot regions across the country where non-contact school sport can take place.

They have also procured Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and sanitisers for all participating schools, provided extra playing equipment to limit sharing between players, as well as arrange a Safety Officer to help facilitate the COVID-19 protocols for each school.

CSA’s Mass Participation Coordinator, Buhle Motshegoa is pleased with how the inland Eastern Cape-leg of the KFC Mini-Cricket Regional Festivals went, highlighting the huge excitement for the programme as well as the bright talent on show in the province. A province that produced the likes of Proteas legends; Makhaya Ntini and Mark Boucher, along with former mini-cricketer and current Proteas Women star, Ayabonga Khaka.

“We are happy that the 2020/21 KFC Mini-Cricket season was able to get underway in the form of the Activation Programmes and that once again we get to see our mini cricketers and coaches play with smiles on their faces,” Motshegoa commented.

“As soon as we set foot in Ngqeleni, you could sense the excitement in the air, and passion for the game of cricket from all those involved in making the two-day cricketing spectacle a resounding success, while we strictly adhered to the COVID-19 health regulations.

“Although getting kids active in a fun and enjoyable way is the main goal, we also got to witness some sensational talent on the field, between both the boys and girls. This bodes well, not only for the growth of the KFC Mini-Cricket programme but also for the South African cricket pipeline,” she added.

 

About KFC Mini-Cricket:

KFC Mini-Cricket provides a platform for kids in South Africa to have fun and get active. KFC Mini-Cricket is the largest grassroots development sports programme in South Africa and is also an essential building block for learning cricketing basics and entrenching a love for the game. 

As of the 2019/2020 season, there are 126 642 kids from 6617 schools active in the KFC Mini-Cricket programme who are coached by 13 673 volunteer coaches. KFC has sponsored KFC Mini-Cricket since 2010 and in the 2012/13 cricket season KFC became the title sponsor of the KFC T20 Internationals.

For more information, please visit https://order.kfc.co.za/minicricket/minicrickethome.

CSA Mascot ZAC in action with pupil from Tiyo Soga Primary School at KFC Mini-Cricket Activation Programme at Tiyo Soga Primary School in Centane on 27 May 2021 © Bheki Radebe/Backpages.

Aspiring cricketer, Aphumelele Qebeyi from Tiyo Soga Primary School in the zone at the crease during the KFC Mini-Cricket Activation Programme at Tiyo Soga Primary School in Centane on 27 May 2021 © Bheki Radebe/Backpages

Endinakho Marhubeni from Old Bunting JSS playing a lofted hook shot during the KFC Mini-Cricket Activation Programme hosted at Old Bunting Junior Secondary School in Ngqeleni on 27 May 2021 © Bheki Radebe/Backpages

Old Bunting Junior Secondary School’s Liyema Dlanjwa in full flight as the kids get active during the KFC Mini-Cricket Activation Programme at Old Bunting Junior Secondary School in Ngqeleni on 27 May 2021 © Bheki Radebe/Backpages

KFC applauds Lizelle Lee for winning the KFC Streetwise Award

 KFC applauds Momentum Protea’s batter, Lizelle Lee on winning the KFC Streetwise Award and becoming the second women’s player to win the accolade during the 2020/21 CSA Awards ceremony.

Lee scored a magnificent 132 against India in the third ODI in Lucknow in what was a pressure-cooker chase of 249 help her side win the match. The performance was one of the innings that helped South Africa seal a 4-1 series win in India.

For a second year in a row this award also includes women’s cricketers who have had stellar performances during the 2020/21 season.

“Congratulations to Lizelle on winning the KFC Streetwise award. It is indeed a big achievement in what has been an unconventional year where players have had to adapt and show more resilience than ever. The KFC Streetwise Award aims to reward those who embody these exact qualities,” KFC Marketing Director, Suhayl Limbada said.

“Like KFC, Lizelle has been an all-round fan favourite, applying her skills and ability with incredible style, whilst showcasing originality and consistency which led her to top the ICC women’s ODI Player rankings in March this year. We couldn’t be prouder of all her achievements.” he added.

Lizelle Lee of South Africa batting during the first 2021 Women’s T20 Series game between India and South Africa at Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, India on 21 March 2021 ©CSA/Gauraw Singh

Cricket South Africa, SA Schools Rugby and Sporting talk about how schools can return to sport

 

Schools have been told that they can return to sport but what does that mean?

Can you return to sport? 

What does it mean that schools sport has returned?

Are there limits in the way that you can return to sport?

What happens if you break the rules in returning to sport?

We have asked Cricket South Africa, SA Schools Rugby Association and Sporting Lisbon in South Africa to answer these questions for us. There are some clearly defined rules of what schools and clubs can do and come that are not that clear. These rules are common amongst all sports. It will be interesting to see what the take is of governing bodies that deal with both contact and non contact sport.