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 pays homage to youth excellence this Youth Month

 

Former South African president and philanthropist Nelson Mandela famously said that sport can play a role in uniting people in divided societies, it speaks to the youth in a language they understand and it has the power to create hope where once there was only despair. KFC has proved the adage correct through their partnership with Cricket South Africa (CSA) with the KFC Mini Cricket Programme which has played a vital part in empowering the youth through cricket.

Since the start of their partnership in 2010 the KFC Mini Cricket programme worked on spreading the game of cricket to where it now hosts 126 000 young cricketers annually across South Africa in a programme that spans diverse range in society, from urban areas to rural areas attracting children of all genders, races and social backgrounds.

The KFC Mini Cricket programme does not only successfully get children physically active but also plays a role in positively developing the children’s mental, social, and emotional wellbeing as KFC Mini Cricket programme participants learn to play for a goal within a team environment which encourages soft skills like focus, communication and helps improve friendship. Teamwork and leadership which can pave a foundation for a successful professional cricketing career or a career outside cricket through lessons learned in the KFC Mini Cricket programme.

The KFC Mini Cricket Programme is also a foundation to youth who aspire to be professional cricketers one day as players such as Sinethemba Qeshile, Janneman Malan and Lutho Sipamla have seen their hard work and dreams come to fruition when they made their debuts for South Africa in the KFC international T20 Series.

“As we commemorate Youth Month, we are proud to play part in empowering the youth of South Africa through our partnership with CSA with the KFC Mini Cricket programme which has ensured that over a million children get active through our 11 years of involvement in this prestigious programme.” KFC CSI Manger Andra Nel commented.

“KFC’s youth empowerment goes beyond our involvement with the KFC Mini Cricket programme as outside of cricket. KFC has launched the Ikusasa Lethu scholarship programme which provides quality education to our team member’s children. We also continue to tackle malnutrition through the KFC Add hope programme which raises funds to feed over 150 000 children in South Africa. Through all these programmes KFC continues to invest in the future of South Africa.” Andra Nel concluded.

The month of June is referred to as Youth month in the South African calendar and the commemorations and observance of youth month reach their peak on June 16^th – Youth Day - a significant holiday in South Africa’s history.

For more information on the KFC Mini-Cricket programme, visit Website

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).

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