KFC Mini-Cricket – Last chance to win a coaching session with a Proteas player

The South African cricketers currently playing in the IPL in India are in great form, keeping South African fans interested and entertained even though the local season is over.

And, courtesy of the KFC Mini-Cricket programme, young cricket fans can stand a chance for a Proteas Player to visit their school and coach their school cricket team.

The lucky six schools that get drawn will see either, Hashim Amla, AB De Villiers, JP Duminy, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell or Vernon Philander coming to the school to coach their school cricket team.  The player selected will run a coaching session, speak to the players as well as motivate them to keep working at their game.

Fans can enter the competition on http://www.supersport.com/competitions/KFCIPL with entries closing on 27 May.  A draw will be take place once the IPL ends when all competition entrants  will get to know if they have won and which player will be visiting their school. The coaching sessions will be finalised based on the availability of the players.

KFC Mini-Cricket programme, which is a soft ball development programme that is an integral part of Cricket South Africa's mission to take the game to the people of South Africa, is a programme that AB De Villiers endorses as an ambassador to the programme. AB says this is a programme he is very passionate about and that it brings him great joy knowing that he is contributing to kids living an active and balanced lifestyle.

Information or to register your school for KFC Mini-Cricket log on to www.kfc.co.za/minicricket or contact CSA at (011) 880 2810.

KFC MINI-CRICKET COACH OF THE MONTH FOR APRIL IS ANNOUNCED

Romy Naidoo, head of Department for Science and Sport at Trenant Park Primary School in KwaZulu-Natal, has been named the KFC Mini-Cricket Coach of the Month for April. The award is in recognition of the hard work and dedication towards the volunteer coaches programme.

“It goes to show that hard work pays off,” said Naidoo on hearing of her win.  “I hope that by winning this award it will encourage other educators to come on board and help me to take the KFC Mini-Cricket programme to the next level.”

Naidoo, who is also the coach of the KwaZulu-Natal women’s team, started coaching cricket in 1987 after completing her Degree in Education and has been coaching KFC Mini-Cricket since the sponsorship started.

“What inspires me is seeing how the new recruits into the programme, some as young as six and seven years old, develop the love for the game and with this excitement skills start to show.  I have identified a number of players that have gone on to better things,” said Naidoo. 

One of her key successes is 19 year old Prenalan Subrayen who is currently with the Dolphins and captained the SA Under 19 team.  “I first met Prenalan when he was 8 years old.  After a while I saw how he improved and the great potential he had so I sent him to a programme with older boys to give him tougher competition and he has never looked back.”

Naidoo is also inspired by the human interest stories.  “A couple of years back a father brought his son to the programme one day and I invited his five year old brother to join us.  The next week I arrived at the ground very early to set up and there were the father and 5 year old son sleeping in the car.  I went over to find out what was happening to be told the youngster woke them all up at 5am and was so excited to come to cricket he made his father bring him along early to wait.”

There are almost 6 000 volunteer coaches in the KFC Mini-Cricket programme who generously give their time and skills to ensure that the 85 000 children from 3 500 schools that participate in the KFC Mini-Cricket programme can be coached 365-day a year.  With both CSA and KFC looking at expanding the programme, this number is set to increase significantly next season.

To broaden the intake for KFC Mini-Cricket further, Cricket South Africa (CSA) has expanded the programme to include pre-schoolers, differently-abled children, and increased the age group for girls to the age of 13. CSA also plans to support government’s rural development programme which will take KFC Mini-Cricket to more of South Africa’s rural areas.

For more information or to register your school for KFC Mini-Cricket log on to www.kfc.co.za/minicricket or contact CSA at (011) 880 2810.

Pictures of the Kids that Romy coaches.

Prenalan Subrayen

NORTH WEST HOST COPA COCA-COLA PROVINCIAL FINAL

North West will host the next Under 15 Copa Coca-Cola Provincial Final taking place on 19^th May at the Motlosana Stadium in Klerksdorp.  Four Regional winners will compete for the chance to represent the Province in the National Finals. Games kick-off at 8.00am and entrance is free. 

First time contender, Maatla Secondary school from Dr Ruth Mompati Region, are hoping to make an impression.  ”We have seen how tournaments such as Copa Coca-Cola have changed people’s lives for the better,” said coach, Edward Moepeng who believes that his players will gain confidence by playing in a tournament of this calibre.

The players walk up to 10 km to get to training but this doesn’t hold them back from pursuing their dreams.  “My dream is to become a professional sportsman,” said grade 10 striker, Tsepo Khudugaone who plays football and is an accomplished athlete.  “I won a silver medal in the 100m sprint recently when I represented Dr Ruth Mompati in a regional athletics event.”

Another player that should do well for the school is grade 8 midfielder, Bafana Chabe and striker, Okane Mokae.  “These two players have good ball control and an eye for goals,” said Moepeng.   

Maatla Secondary School will be up against fifth time participants Arefadimeheng Secondary School from Dr Kenneth Kaunda Region.  The schools last won through to the National Finals in 2009. 

The winning school will represent the North West province in the National Finals happening in Gauteng from 12^th – 14^th July.

About COPA Coca-Cola:

·         Copa Coca-Cola is run under the auspices of the South African Schools Football Association (SASFA)

·         Coca-Cola started sponsoring Coca-Cola Football Stars in 2005.

·         Between 2005 and 2008 a TV reality element was introduced aimed at finding the top 18 players who would go on to compete internationally.  To keep interests high an elimination process was brought in to reduce players from approximately 70 down to 18 and the public witnessed the trials and tribulations that went into becoming a top football player.

·         In 2009 and 2010 the name changed to bring the tournament in line with Coca-Cola’s global youth strategy to COPA Coca-Cola.  The aim of the tournament remained the same i.e. to look for the top Under-19 school in the country and find the top 18 players who then competed against approximately 13 other African schools in the Copa Coca-Cola finals. 

·         In 2012 COPA Coca-Cola became an Under 15 tournament to align with the Copa Coca-Cola globally. 

·         The tournament starts off at Cluster level (this level is now complete as it happened in January)

·         Regional winners then compete in the Provincial Finals

·         Provincial winners then compete in the National Finals taking place from the 3^rd – 7^th July.

o   Prize money:

o   1^st prize - R150 000

o   2^nd prize – R100 000

o   3^rd prize – R60 000

o   Remaining six teams – R40 000 each

NORTH WEST
REGIONS	FIXTURES	VENUES
Dr Ruth Mompati	Maatla Secondary School	Matlosana stadium, Klerksdorp
Dr Kenneth Kaunda	Arefadimeheng Secondary school
Nkanga Modiri Molema	Still to be decided
Bojanala	Still to be decided

FIRST TIME DANONE NATIONS CUP PARTICIPANTS BECOME PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONS

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Keidebees Primary School from the Siyanda Region were crowned the Northern Cape Danone Nations Cup football Provincial champions after beating Kareeville Primary School from Pixley Ka Seme Region 3 – 2 on penalties at the Pabalelo Stadium in Upington last weekend.

This is an excellent achievement for a school that has been following the tournament from the side lines for a number of years not being in a position to participate due to no facilities.  “We never had a football field or kit so could never participate,” said Keidebees Primary School coach, Albert Schalkwyk.  “This year we made an arrangement with the nearby football club, Upington United, for the use of their fields on weekends.  During the week we train on a piece of ground behind the classrooms.”

Schalkwyk singled out 11 year-old team captain, Rolan Issack, as key to the team’s success.  Issack led by example and scoring five goals on the day.  “We have only been playing football for a couple of months and we needed a captain so I asked the team to select one and the choice was Rolan. One of the key reasons for entering the Danone Nations Cup was to give the youngsters match practise and get their confidence up, never did I image we would win,” said an excited Schalkwyk.  .  “Now we are on our way to Gauteng to play in the National Finals which is another first.  Never has any member of the team, or myself for that matter, travelled outside our Region.”

But Schalkwyk admitted his team did not have an easy ride.  "The standard of football was high and the youngsters had to concentrate hard and play their hearts out.  The final went to penalties which we are not used to, but we won in the end and can celebrate – for now.  Next week we start preparing for the National Finals so I will have to step up the training schedule.”

No school from the Northern Cape has won through to the Danone Nations Cup World Finals. Robanyane Primary School represented the Province in the 2011 National Finals finishing in 8^th position.

Keidebees will join Chakaza Primary School (Mpumalanga), Kgwahlele Primary (Limpopo), Atamela Primary (North West),  Bochabela Primary(Free State) and Sinamuva Primary (KZN) in the National Finals.  There are three Provincial Finals still to take place after which all 9 winners will compete to represent South Africa at the World Finals in Warsaw, Poland between 6 – 9 September. 

RESULTS – NORTHERN CAPE PROVINCIAL FINALS

POOL A

 Keidebees Primary School (Siyanda Region)

Moholeng Primary School (Dr John Taole Region)

Dr Izak Van Niekerk Primary School (Namaqualand Region)

Kareeville Primary School (Pixley Ka Seme Region)

Kim-Kgolo Primary School (Francis Baard Region)

RESULTS

Keidebees Primary School 1 vs Moholeng Primary School 0  

Dr Izak Van Niekerk Primary School 1 vs Kareeville Primary School 0

Kim-Kgolo Primary School 0 vs Keidebees Primary School 2

Moholeng Primary School 1 vs Dr Izak Van Niekerk Primary School 0

Kareeville Primary School 3 vs Kim-Kgolo Primary School 4

Keidebees Primary School 2 vs Dr Izak Van Niekerk 0

Moholeng Primry School 1 vs  Kareeville Primary School

Dr Izak Van Niekerk 1 vs Kim-Kgolo Primary School 0

Kareeville Primary School 0 (1) vs Keidebees Primary School 0 (2)

Kim-Kgolo Primary School 0 vs Moholeng Primary School 1

FINAL LOG POSITION

1^{st –} Keidebees Primary School – 10pts

2^nd – Kareeville Primary School – 7 pts

3^rd – Moholeng Primary School – 6 pts

4^th – Dr Izak Van Niekert Primary School – 6 pts

5^th – Kim-Kgolo Primary School – 0 pts

FINAL

Keidebees Primary School 0 (2) vs Kareeville Primary School 0 (0)