School Sports and Where is it Going Webinar 2 replays

This is the second of our series of school sport and where is it going.

School sport is unlikely to resume before 2021. But where does this leave our school sports coaches!

Intune Communications, together with a host of scientists, nutritionists, psychologists and coaches, will be putting together a series of webinars on SCHOOL SPORTS AND WHERE IT IS GOING over the next few months and we invite you to join us in these FREE sessions.

Claire Terblanche Proteas woman player and coach of the Western Province Woman's side spoke about the following topics

• Long-Term player development and how it relates to  a continued pipeline from 6 – 18 and the impact it has moving to senior sport
• Long-Term coaching development
• Parent Involvement and how to do it successfully
• Girls Cricket Development – getting kids involved
• Organising coaching forums and the benefits
• Valid police clearances

Muhammad Maneeb Ali (M.s.c Physical Education and Sports Science, Government College University, Lahore, Pakistan)

Sports ambassador of Pakistan.

Presented a lecture on “the Methodology of Scientific Coaching in Sports”.

Hannes Nienaber Owner of School Rugby and School of Cricket websites and Director at DigiCampus talks about the importance of media and what DigiCampus has to offer.

To find out more about our coaches and to book them contact us at https://pages.services/pr.intunecom.co.za/webinar-series-25-july-2020/

To buy the books that we are promoting contact us at: https://pages.services/pr.intunecom.co.za/webinar-series-25-july-2020/

Three Sides Remain Unbeaten on Day 1 of the Cricket South Africa Schools T20 Challenge

The 11^th CSA Schools T20 Challenge national finals tournament got under way at the LC De Villers complex at the University of Pretoria on Friday.

Eight schools, representing the six CSA franchises, along with the winners of a parallel process involving the CSA Focus Schools programmes in the inland and coastal regions, have been divided into two pools. They play three pool games, followed by two cross-pool games, after which the two teams with the most points will meet in the final on Sunday afternoon.

At the end of the first day three sides, the defending champions St Stithians, Waterkloof and SACS had won two games out of two. St Stithians beat Queens and St Andrew’s; Waterkloof defeated St Andrew’s and Queens; and SACS beat Grey High and Graeme College.

There is a lot of cricket still to be played, but those three did look like the form sides on day one. Saturday morning’s clash between St Stithians and Waterkloof is going to be decisive in pool A, while SACS take on Kearsney in what could be the Pool B decider.

As far as individual performances are concerned, there were two half centuries scored. SW Kemp of Waterkloof made 59 against Queens and Jody de Sousa got 58 for St Stithians against St Andrew’s. Joshua Voight was 45 not out for Grey High against Kearsney

Kemp was also one of those who shone with the ball. He took 3/14 against St Andrew’s in the morning. Two other bowlers took three wickets each. Liam McCarthy took 3/5 for St Stithians against Queens and Kyle Welman took 3/17 for Waterkloof against St Andrew’s.

Man of the Match

Morning Games

St Stithians (Lions) - Liam McCarthy (3/5), Waterkloof (Titans) - Simeon de Bruyn (39 off 27 and 1/25), Kearsney (Dolphins) - Matthew McMurray (2/19), SACS (Cobras) - Nathan Ansell (3/18)

Afternoon Games

St Stithians (Lions) - Jodi de Sousa (58), Waterkloof (Titans) SW - Kemp (44 and 3/27), Graeme College (Coastal Focus School) - Aphiwe Mnyanda (3/25), Grey High (Warriors) - Joshua Voight (45 off 22 balls).

Summarised Scores

Morning Games

St Stithians (Lions) 85/4 (Reuben du Toit 22, Nhlanhla Ntleko 2/26) Queens High School (Inland Focus School) 84 (Nhlanhla Ntleko 33; Liam McCarthy 3/6, Reuben van Tonder 2/4) St Stithians won by 6 wickets.

Waterkloof (Titans) 124/7 (Simeon de Bruyn 37 not out; Jayden Davids 2/22, Matthew Davids 2/36, Tristan Wylie 2/34) St Andrew’s (Knights) 98/8 (JD Bruwer 40, SW Kemp 3/14, Kyle Welman 3/17) Waterkloof won by 26 runs.

Kearsney (Dolphins) 112/3 (Louis Nel 30, Jean-Luc Talbot 29 (not out). Graeme College (Coastal Focus School) 111/7 (Ryan Bush 45; Matthew McMurray 2/19, Dean Gibbs 2/20) Kearsney won by 7 wickets.

SACS (Cobras) 136/7 (Kai Curran 47, La'eeq Cooper 24; Elish Thorne 2/31) Grey High (Warriors) 79 (Jade Smith 24; Nathan Ansell 3/8, Oscar Welsh 2/13) SACS won by 57 runs.

Afternoon Games

St Stithians 143/3 (Ruben du Toit 38, Jody de Sousa 58). St Andrew’s 87 (Tristan Wylie 22; Tandua Chanaikra 3/16). St Stithians won by 56 runs.

SACS 138/9 (Michael Levitt 37, Nathan Ansell 29). Graeme College 63 (Judah Banwell 2/8, Matthew Klusener 2/14). SACS won by 75 runs.

Grey High 137/8 (Joshua Voight 45 not out, Daniel Ristow 29). Kearsney College 94/7 (Rubin Rheeder 19; Nicholas Keevy 2/3). Grey High won by 43 runs.

Waterkloof 162/6 (SW Kemp 59, Zander Maree 39; Lucky Ntleko 2/26). Queens High 86/7 (Simo Potlewa 23; Simeon de Bruyn 2/9). Waterkloof won by 76 runs.

KFC Mini-Cricket impacts communities in Limpopo through intentional integrations

Sponsorship gives brands the opportunity to connect their customers with something they love and are passionate about. For many communities across South Africa, these connections present an opportunity for improvement of their worlds, inspiring unity, hope and potentially making a significant impact on various aspects of everyday life in a tough environment.

A group of children from Giyani, a small town in Limpopo have been offered this kind of opportunity for growth and development through their participation in KFC Mini-Cricket, under the guidance of their coach, Patrick Mabasa, - a teacher by profession.

“Cricket is a calling for me and seeing kids interact through the game, makes my heart smile.” says Mabasa of the root of his passion for the game. “Being part of the KFC Mini-Cricket programme, I simply wanted to encourage children to be active members of the community through sport – one which they’ve grown to love immensely, and which has taken a central role in their lives.”

When asked why coaching is important for developing kids, he says that the lessons learnt both on and off the field of play helps develop tolerance and respect in children and equips them better to recognise and appreciate the differences and similarities between themselves and others.  “This, in effect, encourages social cohesion that can help alleviate some of the harms kids are exposed to in their everyday lives at schools and in their communities,” he says.
Driven by his love for teaching and imparting important life lessons, Mabasa thought it would be great to create a space for children who play KFC Mini-Cricket to have a library in which they can cultivate their knowledge and learn without hindrances. It’s this ability to encourage them to become all-rounders, beyond cricketing, that sets Mabasa apart. With the children gathering diligently after school, Mabasa realised education and sport play a mutually beneficial role in enabling these children to grow into members of society who will make meaningful contributions.

The seamless incorporation of sport and education is a demonstration of how targeted sponsorships in local communities can drive authentic engagement that directly benefits the people – with benefits to the brand as a welcome by-product. KFC remains committed to continuing to make a difference and noteworthy impact in the lives of children throughout South Africa.

Good nutrition is key to unlocking the bodies potential and can have an impact on adult performance in the board room or on the sports field.

Good nutrition is key to unlocking the bodies potential

Good nutrition as a child can directly contribute to performance in the board room or on the sports field as an adult

South African corporates and government have been made aware of the alarming statistics that emerged in the recent HAKSA report (compiled by a number of South African universities) which identified that; one in five South African children skip breakfast, less than half consume the recommended intake of vegetables and fruit and their intake of key vitamins and minerals is less than 67% of what is recommended. This has a devastating effect on the growth (physical and mental) of our children and Danone launched their 2020 Day One campaign to coincide with the start of the 2020 school year.  This is now going national in a drive to improve the status quo by educating parents and caregivers on the benefits of good nutrition and how it impacts on the development of children, whether in the classroom or on the sportsfield.

Education is a global equaliser and everyone in a child’s life, be it an educator, parent or caregiver, plays a part in ensuring that South Africans can compete anywhere in the world, and this all starts from birth.  There is a window of opportunity (the first 1000 days) to ensure that children receive adequate nutrition to ensure that areas of growth and maturity are met at the right time to meet important milestones.

“Our Day One with Danone campaign is educational and empowers parents and children to make correct food choices to improve nutrition and wellbeing,” said Leanne Keizer, Scientific and Regulatory Affairs Manager, Danone Southern Africa. “A healthy eating plan, which means consuming the correct amounts of vitamins and minerals, is of paramount importance in every aspect of a child’s life including building strength, promoting physical fitness, giving energy for optimal concentration and brain development.  To compete globally, whether in the boardroom or on the sports field, South Africans must match their international counterparts thereby creating equal opportunities and, what many parents are not aware, this all starts with good nutrition in our first years.

Day One by Danone also demonstrates that healthy eating is affordable.  “There are five simple steps to healthy eating that we are promoting through our campaign,” said Keizer.  “Eat breakfast every day; eat more fruit and vegetables; have milk, maas or yoghurt every day; drink more water; and exercise. We teach kids these five steps through play so they will retain the information and it creates longevity. 2020 is of particular importance as it fits into our global One Planet One Health vision, which reflects our belief that the health of people and that of the planet are interlinked and both need to be protected and nurtured.”

“It’s an unfortunate fact that we only recognise the symptoms of bad eating when it is too late,” said Keizer. “Snacks form an important element of healthy eating and we encourage children to select a fruit instead of a sweet or packet of crisps.  Our NutriDay yoghurts, which are high in protein,  have been made with carefully selected added nutrients known to be lacking in the diets of South African children (Vitamins A, B, D, E) and are the only yoghurts in South Africa that are a source of Zinc, essential in building a healthy immune system, growth and cognitive development.  These additions fuel a child’s potential to thrive.  We cannot stress enough the importance of drinking water, eating vegetables and fruit and including milk, yoghurt or maas in a child’s diet.”

Exercise is key to good health.  “Our Danone Nations Cup, the biggest soccer tournament in the world for children between the ages of 10 and 12 years old, has enabled us to talk to over 40 million kids around the world since its inception in 2000.  We use the biggest sport in the world to promote the importance of exercise and encourage young athletes to ‘Play Football, Change the Game’, which is a rallying message to unite children, irrespective of their backgrounds and cultures, and to encourage them to become catalysts for positive change,” concluded Keizer.

To ensure continuity, Danone is constantly loading nutritional tips, advice and recipes onto the Danone website: www.danone.co.za to assist parents and caregivers.

KFC T20 International Series promises to be Bucket loads of Fun

The legendary KFC Big Bucket experience is back, bigger and better than ever! The KFC T20 International series promises Bucket loads Of Fun, with the Proteas hosting international giants England and Australia at six tantalising matches across the country between 12 and 26 February.

Fans will once again be afforded the opportunity to rub shoulders with their favourite Protea players and celebrities inside the KFC Big Bucket at each of the six matches. The iconic Big Bucket promises to give fans an epic experience and an exclusive vantage point at the stadium as they share the excitement of the KFC T20 series over a finger lickin’ good meal alongside family and friends. Over and above this, during the innings break, KFC will also have unique activations that will give fans an opportunity to win awesome KFC prizes.

To stand a chance to win an all - expenses paid KFC Big Bucket experience for themselves and three friends, fans simply need to buy any KFC bucket meal at any KFC outlet across the country and WhatsApp a clear copy of their till slip to 087 152 0605. On match day, cricket fans at the stadium can stand a chance to win a seat upgrade to the KFC Big Bucket to enjoy food and drinks if they simply spot the Colonel and post a picture of themselves with the Colonel on major social media platforms using #KFCBigBucket.

“KFC continues to place the fan experience at the heart of the KFC T20 International Series. Every season, we look for fun, exciting and disruptive ways to give our customers unforgettable experiences and the KFC Big Bucket is one such way that we are able to do this for fans,” says KFC brand representative. “This season, the KFC Big Bucket will be bigger, better and deliver even more Bucket loads Of Fun – and we cannot wait to reveal all the other great things we have in store for fans.”

Tickets for the KFC T20 International Series can be bought at www.ticketpros.co.za. The fixtures are:

South Africa vs England

12 February – 1^st KFC T20I, Buffalo Park, East London

14 February – 2^nd KFC T20I, Kingsmead, Durban

16 February – 3^rd KFC T20I, SuperSport Park, Centurion

South Africa vs Australia

21 February – 1^st KFC T20I, Imperial Wanderers, Johannesburg

23 February – 2^nd KFC T20I, St George’s Park, Port Elizabeth

26 February – 3^rd KFC T20I, Newlands, Cape Town

Competition runs from the 24 January to 9 February 2020. For more information, follow @KFCSA on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and follow all the action on #KFCBigBucket

Western Province star goes from SAU19 disappointment to Khaya Majola Hero

Western Province bowler Siyabulela Plaaitjie set aside his disappointment at not making the SA 19 team for the ICC U19 World Cup by playing a match-winning role in Western Province's first win against Gauteng since Potchefstroom in 2012.

When he wasn’t picked he was disappointed and looked for guidance from his mentor at Western Province Cricket, Graham October.

Graham told him that he had two options, the first was to feel sorry for himself and to curl up in bed and cry and the second was to go to the Khaya Majola Week and play the best cricket he can play.

Graham left the decision to Siya because it’s one of his policies is to let the boys in his care make their own decisions.

“Graham is like a father figure to me and he always directs me in the right direction, being left out of the world cup side is a real disappointment. He explained my options and I chose to focus on my game and to make sure that I do well and, hopefully,  make the SA Schools team,’ said Siya.

His earlier performances at the Khaya Majola Week had not been up to his high standards until he faced Gauteng in the traditional clash of the titans at the tournament.

Western Province had not beaten Gauteng at the Khaya Majola Week since the ‘main game’ of 2012. Since then they have lost five finals against Gauteng and it was looking as if they were going to lose again at Michaelhouse on Thursday, until Siya bowled an inspired spell that broke the back of the Gauteng run chase.

Siya has always been a fighter, he comes from a very poor single-parent family in Langa, Cape Town, where his mother tries her very best to give him the opportunities that most boys in that area are not able to get.

Through his cricketing ability, Siya created his own opportunities and was spotted at an early age by Western Province Cricket. He has had many mentors at the union including the current Gauteng coach Siyabonga Sibiya who, even though his team lost to Western Province, was one of the first people to congratulate him for his brilliant effort. He was clearly emotional because he knew what Siya had been through to get this far in life.

Graham October was the most emotional. He ran up to embrace the boy that he knows so well and brought tears to the eyes of many of the spectators on the field.

‘Coach Graham helps me out emotionally, financially and with my cricket. It is awesome to have someone like him in my life, along with the other mentors at Western Province cricket who help me,’ said Siya.

Siya is at Wynberg Boys’ High on a bursary, supported by the Western Province Cricket Union and he is part of a truly South African Western Province team in which privileged kids from schools like Bishops can play as equals with a boy like himself, from Langa and they can be friends.

it’s a story is that Khaya Majola would have loved playing. A testament to his vision for the tournament has been named after him.

Siya and Graeme

Oberholzer's Hat-trick Highlight of Day 3 of the Khaya Majola Week

There have been a number of good performances over the first three days of the 2019/20 Khaya Majola Week and day three’s T20 double-headers served up quite a few of them.

There were 11 50s and 4 four-wicket hauls on the day, but the performance that really stood out was Christiaan Oberholzer’s 5/22 against Limpopo. Not only did he take more wickets than anyone else in one innings during the day but he also took the first hat-trick of the tournament in the process of achieving that feat.

Christian was delighted with his bowling performance. ‘The hat-trick came in the 8^th over. We had a decent total and I decided that I wanted to attack so I asked my captain to bring the field in and let me see if I can get a wicket or two.’

‘My captain backed me and allowed me to place my own field. It took me two balls to take the first wicket, the two batsmen had crossed and with the next ball I took the other set batsman, which applied pressure on the new batsman coming in. The next ball snuck under the bat and hit the batsman’s pad and he was given out LBW.’

Christian is only 17 and this is his first Khaya Majola Week so he did not come with too many personal expectations. His main objective was to enjoy the week and to learn as much as possible from the other players in his team and from his coach. He hopes that he will play again in the week next year.

He struggled a little in the first two games that he played but he thinks that his performance with bat and ball on the third day might be the turning point in his week and he will be able to do far better in the rest of the week.

‘Being an all-rounder gives me an opportunity to do well with both bat and ball. After I took 5 wickets and the hat-trick my confidence was up and I managed make a good score to help my team beat Limpopo by 9 wickets,’ said Christian.

The Khaya Majola Cricket Week adds new awards to make the tournament more memorable for the boys

Cricket South Africa and their provincial unions continues to look for new ways that they can improve on the experience at the week for the boys. This year is no exception as the KwaZulu-Natal Inland region adds new awards to the week to make it more memorable for the boys.

Morgan Pillay has been the Tournament Director of the Khaya Majola Cricket Week for the last 23 years in a row and, because the week is always scheduled to incorporate the 16th December holiday, and Morgan’s birthday is on 18^TH December, that means he has not been at home his birthday for almost a quarter of a century.

He’s there again this year as the 2019 week takes place in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal Inland, centred at Michaelhouse, with matches also being played at Hilton College, St Charles, Weston Agricultural school and the Pietermaritzburg Oval 

“The week has always featured the most talented cricketers in the under-19 age group, but many other things have changed since my one as tournament director, in Boksburg in 1996,” he said. “In the process we have created a world class stage that allows all cricketers to showcase their talent. There’s no question that this is the finest high school cricket tournament in the world.”

The boys are being housed at the schools, in luxurious accommodation, with good healthy food and first class facilities. Everything has been sorted so all that the players have to do it play their best cricket, make friends and have a wonderful experience, Pillay said. “All of the schools have gone out of their way to prepare their schools to the best of their abilities to make sure that the tournament runs smoothly.”

There have been a lot of changes to the tournament during Pillay’s time. “For example, when I took over the tournament the umpires and scorers were school children, Now we have qualified umpires and scorers and Cricket South Africa supply a manager to look after the umpires and assessors to make sure that the scorers and umpires do their jobs correctly.”

CSA use the week as training for their scorers and umpires, while providing the players with a top class service. This also creates an incentive for the scorers and the umpires to be at the week.

“The top players from each cricketing region come to the tournament and this allows the boys to measure themselves against their peers from across the country  top boys in other regions,” Pillay said. “This allows the players to meet others who they would not usually get to mix with. They can make friendships that can last for life.”

This year the LOC from KwaZulu-Natal decided that they needed to add something to the tournament that will make the tournament different from the others in the past.

They added the awards for the best bowling and batting performance for each day, they would recognize batsmen with awards for all of the centuries scored and the fastest century of the tournament.

To recognize the bowlers they added awards for all of the 5 wicket hauls and hat-tricks during the week.

Finally they looked at what the tournament means for a lot of the kids and that is making lifelong friendships and enjoying a memorable week so they added a fair play award for the player that was best in playing the game in the spirit of the game.

These awards will be given out at the awards ceremony on Friday evening together with the player of the tournament, the leading wicket taker, the leading run scorer and the best all-rounder awards.

Former Titans and Warriors bowler Rowan Richards adds his experience to the Border Cricket Team at the Khaya Majola Cricket Week.

Singatha Gcilitshana, Shannon Musto and Rowan Richards

Rowan Richards retired from professional cricket in March this year. He was with Easterns at the end, but has played for Border, Northerns, the Titans and the Warriors in his long an illustrious career.

Rowan loves the game of cricket and wants to give back so he is now coaching at Queens High School in Queenstown and even though he is new to the role, he has been called up by the Border Cricket Union to serve as team manager and assistant coach to Shannon Musto and Singatha Gcilitshana at this year’s Khaya Majola Week.

“When Border asked me to assist I jumped at the opportunity,” he said. “I never played in this week as a youngster so I’m very excited to take part this year.”

He feels that he has a lot to give to the boys and he serves as an example of someone who missed out on selection, but still ent on to play professional cricket. “I think I am an example of someone that didn't have it all his way,” he said. “I tell the boys to carry on working hard and to know that if they don’t perform well in a game during the week they can bounce back and play well in the next game.”

It’s been a good week so far and he has already seen some outstanding talent. He is looking forward to seeing all the teams in action.

Border did not have it all their own way on day one. They bowled well and had Limpopo all out for 77 runs, but the boys thought that they had already won the match and didn't focus on their batting and were bowled out for 103. Luckily the concentrated a little harder in their second innings and won the match by two wickets.

"The lesson learnt was that there are no easy games at this week, so you have to concentrate in every game. This is a good bunch of players. Today we were complacent, so now we will speak to the boys and make sure that they understand the importance of respecting your opposition and giving everything until the match is over,” he said.

“I was blessed to be in the changerooms of coaches like Vince Barnes, Shukri Conrad, Rob Walter, Mark Boucher just to name a few and I have played with players like AB de Villiers and Faf dui Plessis so I know what goes on in the changeroom with some of the best coaches and players in the country. I know how they deal with certain situations and it’s my job to pass on what I have learned to the boys and to assist Shannon by passing on this information. I am still new in coaching so I have to learn from the other coaches and the boys and improve my own coaching abilities.

Rowan is involved in cricket at all the levels, from KFC Mini-Cricket all the way to the Khaya Majola week and he says that cricket is in a better place that what it was when he was young. “CSA has gone into areas that they have not been into in the past and have exposed a lot of players who would not have had an opportunity in their previous structures. This has enriched the game and they have found a lot of fantastic players that they would have missed. It has also give kids a lot of opportunities to play professional cricket that I didn't have as a kid. Cricket is in a better place now,” he said.

The SA U19 duo leading by example at the Khaya Majola Week

Those running the youth structures at Cricket South Africa’s are understandably focussing on the upcoming ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup, and the Khaya Majola Week on the go in the KZN Midlands at the moment is being used strategically as part of their preparations for that tournament.

There have been one or two players who are in the SA under-19 team who are carrying minor injuries and have been withdrawn as a precaution, but for the others, this is an opportunity to spend time at the crease and to get some overs under their belts in a competitive situation.

Ten members of the SA U-19 squad are here. We spoke to two of them who have, on the first two days of the week, shown that they are a cut above their peers and that the hard work they have been doing at the national training camp has paid off.

Odirile Modimokoane, a spin bowler from Northwest, is one of those. This is his 3^rd Khaya Majola Week and he has taken 9 wickets in the two games so far. “The week has gone well and I have learned a lot of things with my bowling,” he said. “This year is different from the rest because I have learned a lot especially from the SA U-19 camp that we had in December. After I was chosen for the SA U-19 team I decided to play one tournament at a time so I want to focus just on my bowing at this tournament and make sure that I get a lot of overs in to keep fit.”

Lawrence Mahatlane, the SA U-19 coach told him to keep working on his bowling, but to make sure that he also has fun. “Enjoyment plays a huge part in my cricket, so that suits me,” he said. “I have learned from the SA U-19 coaches how to play with my speed and the lines that I bowl. This has helped me a lot because when I bowled slightly slower the ball stayed low but when I speeded up my bowling I got some bounce. I need to mix it up so that I can surprise the batsmen and take wickets.”

The Northwest coaches at the Khaya Majola week have also been a great help. “They helped me with setting up different fields to suit my bowling,” he said. “This week changed my life, It’s my 3rd time and it was here that I was first recognised, and now I have a possible future in cricket. Cricket has given me opportunities to have a career in the sport and that all started at the week.

Levert Manje is a batsman in the Central Gauteng Lions team. He said it is a privilege to make the team and represent his province, and it’s even more of an honour to play for his country at the World Cup.

“I need to make the most of the week,” he said. “It means a lot to me to see our senior provincial coach at the Lions, Sandile Masengemi, take time out of his schedule to come to the week and watch us play. It shows you how important this tournament is.

“My focus is to stay in the moment and not let my position in the under-19 team go to my head, there is a lot of work that I need to do, so I cannot get over confident. “I was disappointed not to play in the Khaya Majola Cricket Week last year, but that taught me not to take anything for granted. I am going to play hard in the week and do as well as I can because it means so much to me. The Khaya Majola Cricket Week is great preparation for the World Cup. I am playing at a high level and I need to work hard to get my confidence up.”

Under-19 coach Lawrence Mahatlane speaks to him often and helps him a lot, Levert said. “He told me to bat for long periods of time and to stay in the now. What I took from that is that I need to be more mature as a batsman and I need to read the various situations that I face and bat accordingly.”

Central Gauteng Lions under-19 coach Siyabonga Sibiya, who is also an assistant coach with the SA U-19 team, is a hard task master but there is a method to what he is trying to do. Levert said. “I understand it I am really appreciative of what he is trying to do.”

Levert has already hit over 130 runs in his two matches so far, with four more to go and is clearly one player to watch at this Khaya Majola Week.

Four teams from Mpumalanga will do battle in the Danone Nations Cup provincial finals to determine who will compete in the national finals in Gauteng

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The four schools that will be competing in the under-12 Danone Nations Cup Mpumalanga provincial soccer finals will be fielding their strongest teams in an attempt to clinch the trophy and get the opportunity to travel to Gauteng for the national finals. 

But it doesn’t stop there, in the 20 years since the launch of the tournament, only one school from the province has made it to the world finals and all four believe it’s about time Mpumalanga got to that level again.  This year the world finals will take place at the RCDE Stadium, Barcelona, Spain between 10^th and 12^th October 2019. 

The provincial finals will take place at the Mpumalanga Stadium in Ermelo on Saturday 4 May.  Entrance is free and the games kick-off at 10am.

The teams that have qualified are: Nelsville Combined School (Nelspruit, Ehlanzeni district), Robert Carruthers School (Emalahleni, Nkangala district), Qambekile Primary School (Ermelo, Gert Sibande district) and Mahlambandlopfu Primary School (Bushbuckridge, representing Bohlabela district)

Qambekile are in the provincial finals for the first time and, according to their coach, Sboniso Sithole, it’s because he allowed more time for preparation. “I teach Grade 7 Mathematics and it takes up a lot of my time.  This year I decided to put in extra time to prepare the team better and this has paid off.”

Sithole is a passionate soccer coach and plays for the local Department of Education team but has no formal coaching qualifications.  “I am not concerned at not having a coaching qualification as I am coached by a professional at club level and he gives me all the help I need to take back to the boys.

“Competing at district level was excellent for the boys.  We were up against some good teams and I learnt a lot and the week prior to the provincials will be spent correcting mistakes and implementing what we learnt.  I am passionate about soccer and watch a lot of games from around the world on television.  I would really like to take the team to Barcelona. I’m very motivated and feel we are in the running for the trip.  Having home ground advantage will help us as well.”

Coach Peter Tau from Robert Carruthers School also believes he has a good chance of winning.  “I have a pretty decent team this year,” he said. “We reached the provincial finals two years ago and we might not have won but I learnt a lot and we have implemented many new strategies which has made a great difference to the team.  Our captain and striker is a particularly talented player who reads the game well.  He is a great sports all-rounder who also competes in sprinting and high jump. Being a good athlete helps a lot on the soccer field.”

The coach started the season off with a braai including the players and their parents.  “It was motivating for the boys.  Parents are of critical importance to kids as their support makes them try harder and work better.  If we get into the nationals we will repeat this.”

It is also a first for Nelsville Combined School from Nelspruit.  Their new team manager, Sizwe Mthethwa, is impressed with the performance of the team.  “Hard work and commitment are what helped us get through to the provincial finals. It is our first time in the provincial finals, but I believe it is a first for most of the others as well, so the playing field is level,” he said.

Coach, Rewano Swarts has been with the team for several years and has done wonders with the boys believes Mthethwa. “Our midfielder, Jayden and left wing, Milano are exceptional players and should make their mark on the weekend. They both play for the local club, FC Leopards, which is a help for us.”

The final team competing in Ermelo is Mahlambandlopfu Primary School from Bushbuckridge.  The coach, Clive Maluka, started working full time at the school as the mathematics and life skills teacher at the beginning of the year and also teaches physical education and opted to run sport. “Sport has not been a priority at the school for many reasons, one being the lack of facilities.  On joining I decided this must change as I have seen the important role sport plays in education.”

Maluka is the only male teacher at the school.  “I am passionate about soccer.  No one can tell me anything about any club whether it be Manchester United, Liverpool, Sundowns or Kaizer Chiefs as I watch every game and learn from them.  One of my subjects that I did when studying for my education degree was sports management and that is my qualification.  It has taught me a lot about the development of the human body and when and how to get the best out of young players.”

Maluka worked in Corporate Social Investment in the corporate world until the company he was working for closed its doors.  “With the support of my wife I decided to change focus and studied for my education degree through Unisa.  In the meantime, I worked with the kids in the townships teaching them soccer.  I have now set up and NPO with some of my local friends in Bushbuckridge and we will be starting a soccer development programme.  I have seen how little there is around here to keep the youngsters entertained and we plan to make a huge difference in the local community,” he said.

South Africa is one of only two countries that have won the world finals three times: in 2003, 2007 and 2009. 

The 2018 and 2019 world finals will take place as a double-header in celebration of Danone’s centenary and the 20^th edition of the Danone Nations Cup. 

“It is an important year for Danone,” explained Chantel Ehlers, Internal Communications Manager, Danone Southern Africa.  “Not only is Danone turning 100 and it is the 20^th edition of the Danone Nations Cup, but this year also coincides with our new brand positioning and purpose, One Planet One Health, which reflects our belief that the health of humankind and that of the planet are interlinked and both need to be protected and nurtured. Through the Danone Nations Cup we are contributing to bringing this vision to life by promoting the importance of exercise. Further, we are encouraging our young athletes to ‘Play Football, Change the Game’, which is a rallying message to unite children, irrespective of their backgrounds and cultures, and to encourage them to become catalysts for positive change.” 

About Danone

Danone Southern Africa is part of the Danone Group, one of the fastest-growing food companies in the world.  Danone is present in over 120 countries across all continents. With 160 plants and around 100,000 employees, the Danone Group is the number one worldwide for Fresh Dairy Products. Danone’s mission is to bring health through food to as many people as possible.

One of the core values of the Danone Nations Cup tournament is to encourage young people to believe in their dreams. Through this initiative Danone offers a sporting event that reaches out to and inspires millions of children all over the world

GROUP DANONE

Dedicated to bringing health through food to as many people as possible, Danone is a leading global food & beverage company building on health-focused and fast-growing categories in three businesses: Essential Dairy & Plant-Based Products, Waters and Specialized Nutrition. Danone aims to inspire healthier and more sustainable eating and drinking practices, in line with its ‘One Planet. One Health’ vision which reflects a strong belief that the health of people and that of the planet are interconnected. To bring this vision to life and create superior, sustainable, profitable value for all its stakeholders, Danone has defined its 2030 Goals: a set of nine integrated goals aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. Danone commits to operating in an efficient, responsible and inclusive manner; it holds itself to the highest standards in doing business, as reflected by its ambition to become one of the first multinationals certified as B CorpTM. With more than 100,000 employees, and products sold in over 120 markets, Danone generated €24.7 billion in sales in 2018. Danone’s portfolio includes leading international brands (Actimel, Activia, Alpro, Aptamil, Danette, Danio, Danonino, evian, Nutricia, Nutrilon, Volvic, among others) as well as strong local and regional brands (including AQUA, Blédina, Bonafont, Cow & Gate, Horizon, Mizone, Oikos, Prostokvashino, Silk, Vega).