KFC Mini-Cricket Festival: Rosebank & Alexandra - 14 May 2021

 

The boys and girls are back on the cricket field and getting active again! The KFC Mini-Cricket programme hosted two successful KFC Mini-Cricket festivals in Gauteng on Friday, 14 May. 

 

In a fun-filled day, KFC along with Cricket South Africa (CSA) and the Central Gauteng Lions (CGL) visited Rosebank Primary School in Rosebank and MC Weiler Primary School in Alexandra, bringing with them the CSA mascot ZAC,  CGL fast bowling legend, Johnson Mafa and former Proteas bowler, Garnett Kruger.

 

“This programme just reminds me of where I was a number of years ago, as a kid, and to where I am now as an professional ex-cricketer. The experiences that I had from being a player, it all started here…playing cricket in the street and on the field.

 

“These initiatives that KFC and CSA are doing are bringing dreams to a reality. Giving kids an opportunity to dream of becoming a cricketer one day. It’s also brilliant of KFC to bring these activations to the township,” Kruger commented.

 

For more information on the KFC Mini-Cricket programme visit https://order.kfc.co.za/minicricket/minicrickethome.

 

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Image List (With Captions):

 

Rosebank Primary School:

 

• Cricket South Africa mascot ZAC engaging with KFC Mini-Cricket kids at the KFC Mini-Cricket Festival at Rosebank Primary School on Friday, 14 May 2021 (6)

• CSA mascot ZAC standing at slip as KFC Mini Cricket kids get active again at the KFC Mini-Cricket Festival at Rosebank Primary School on Friday 14 May 2021 (7)

• KFC Mini Cricket kids receive instructions as they prepared for fun and exciting action during the KFC Mini Cricket Festival on Friday, 14 May 2021 (11)

 

MC Weiler Primary School:

• Anele Ngodo from Gordon Primary School learning to master the art of bowling with Gauteng cricket legend Johnson Mafa during KFC Mini Cricket Festival at MC Weiler Primary School on Friday, 14 May 2021 (1)

• Coach Kgomotso Matintela helping Thabang Phiri Ikage Primary School with his positioning at the crease as the KFC Mini-Cricket kids took to the field during the KFC Mini-Cricket Festival at MC Weiler Primary School on Friday, 14 May 2021 (2)

• Kgosiame Monisi from MC Weiler Primary School delivers the perfect ball as the KFC Mini-Cricket kids marked their return to action with the KFC Mini-Cricket Festival at MC Weiler Primary School on Friday, 14 May 2021 (4)

Please note: All images provided are courtesy of Cricket South Africa / Backpages (Sam Shivambu).

CGL captain, Protera Women's player and teacher Yolani Fourie KFC Mini-Cricket Provincial Seminar

 

Central Gauteng Lions women’s captain, Proteas player and teacher Yolani Fourie talks to Dalin Oliver about her cricket career at the Gauteng KFC Mini-Cricket provincial seminar. Central Gauteng Lions women’s captain, Proteas player and teacher Yolani Fourie talks to Dalin Oliver about her cricket career and women's cricket

Yolani Fourie talks at the KFC Mini-Cricket Seminar about how she has dealt with the lockdown, how she has started playing cricket again as a Protea player, a Gauteng Lions player and as a school coach.

She started playing cricket with her brothers and she played Mini-Cricket but cricket was not that big for girls when she was young and she is happy to see that, through KFC Mini-Cricket, there are a lot more girls playing cricket.

Yolani talks about playing cricket in the subcontinent and playing in front of large crowds. She also talks about being a spinner and bowling in the subcontinent.

Since she started playing cricket, women’s cricket has grown hugely and now she is beginning to see more interest from sponsors. Unfortunately she is getting closer to retiring so she will not be there when women’s cricket get real benefits from the sponsorship.

Following a long hiatus brought about by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, KFC and Cricket South Africa (CSA) are getting ready to launch the new cricket season by hosting virtual KFC Mini-Cricket Provincial Seminars throughout the month of October, across the 16 Provincial Unions.

The annual KFC Mini-Cricket Provincial Seminars are an important part of planning for the season ahead and the virtual environment will lay the foundation for the return of play once government gives the go ahead, hopefully early in the new year.

CSA’s Mass Participation Coordinator, Buhle Motshegoa, speaks about what Cricket South Africa's plans are for the new season. She sets the standard that is expected from all of the regions and from the nation as a whole.

Cricket South Africa would like the country to play 80 000 matches from when school starts in January until the easter Holidays in April. On the 20th February KFC and Cricket South Africa would like over 5000 matches to be played over the country.

It is time for the kids to get active again.

KFC CSI Manager, Andra Ferreira Nel, congratulated the unsung heroes of the program, that is the coaches, for the amazing work that they have done in the past seasons and asks them to send through their human interest stories so that the nation can see what they do to help kids all over the country.

The KFC Mini-Cricket programme introduces children to the game and is one of South Africa’s biggest grassroot sports development programmes. It is critical foundation stage in the development of South Africa’s future cricketing heroes and is the first phase in CSA’s ‘pipeline to the Proteas’.

 

Central Gauteng KFC Mini-Cricket Kids Captivated by Heroes at the Mzansi Super League

KFC has joined the exciting inaugural Mzansi Super League (MSL) as proud sponsors of the tournament’s ball boys and girls. Kids all around the country are getting to meet their heroes up close and it has been a phenomenal experience for them.

Decovan Olien and his KFC Mini-cricket friends from central Gauteng got to meet West Indies superstar Chris Gayle when the Jozi Stars played against the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants. “It’s the first time I have experienced something like this, the best part of today was meeting my heroes especially Chris Gayle.” Decovan said.

KFC Mini-Cricket player Kamogelo Nkomo, has been a ball girl once before and she really wanted to be a ball girl again and meet more of her heroes. “I had so much fun meeting my heroes, they inspire me to work hard to achieve my goals. I really enjoyed being a ball girl. I had fun with the cricket fans who cheered for me and some of them told me that I was the best ball girl at the stadium. I love KFC Mini-Cricket.”

KFC Mini-Cricket all-rounder, Keagan van der Walt got so many signatures from the players and he will ask his father to frame his shirt and put it up in his bedroom. His favourite player is Chris Gayle and he was so happy that he got to meet him and get his autograph.

Kumo Modibedi a KFC Mini-Cricket player from central Gauteng, said it was a lot of fun, “We were right there on the cricket field fielding the ball to the players. I was very nervous when I got onto the field but once the game started I forgot that I was nervous and I started enjoying myself. I would love to do this again,” he said.

Through the KFC Mini-Cricket programme, KFC has managed to offer kids with the critical building blocks to learn cricketing basics and entrenching important life lessons. The programme allows teachers at schools to offer a cricket sporting programme, even with basic fields and facilities. This is to make sure that kids are playing their way, getting active and that the educational lessons of commitment to participation are learnt and adopted way beyond just the game.

Schools and teams across the country can get involved in the KFC Mini-Cricket programme by visiting www.kfc.co.za/minicricket  

Fairways Primary School KFC Mini-Cricket Kids meet their heroes at the Mzansi Super League

KFC has joined the exciting Mzansi Super League (MSL) as proud sponsors of the tournament’s ball boys and girls. Kids all around the country are getting the opportunity to meet their cricket heroes up close and it has been an unforgettable experience for each of the boys and girls.

The KFC Mini-Cricket kids from Fairways Primary School from Johannesburg made it well known that being ball boys and girls was just as exciting meeting their biggest cricketing heroes, Kagiso Rabada and Dale Steyn. Not only did they get to rub shoulders with their heroes but were also given autographs.

KFC Mini-Cricket player, Zoe Chetty, was blown away by the experience of getting to meet her heroes, “My favourite part of today was meeting and getting a hug from my heroes Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada. I told Dale and Kagiso that they were my favourite cricket players. When I see my friends that do not play KFC Mini-Cricket I will tell them about my day and encourage them to play KFC Mini-Cricket if they want to experience something as cool as this.”

KFC Mini-Cricket player, Faroula Abdul, said, “The whole experience was absolutely amazing, just being here was amazing plus it was fun being a ball girl because I learnt a lot from watching the game. I met Kagiso Rabada, Quinton de Kock and so many other players and they make me want to be just like them when I grow up.”

Khushi Chahar, felt that her experience was better than a first class experience, “It was great to get to meet and see our heroes close to us. Getting to meet Kagiso Rabada and getting a huge hug from one of my heroes was amazing. I would love to do this again and I am so happy that I love KFC Mini-Cricket so much.”

For more information on KFC Mini-Cricket visit www.kfcminicricket.co.za  or contact CSA at (011) 880 - 2810