GET INTO ACTION, GET INTO KFC MINI-CRICKET – EASTERNS HOST THE THIRD PROVINCIAL FESTIVAL

Easterns Cricket Union hosted a KFC Mini-Cricket festival at Willowmore Park, Benoni, today with over 600 children (boys and girls) between the ages of 3 and 13 getting active on the cricket field under the watchful eyes of Easterns cricketers.

The kids that participated in the festival came in school teams with eight players per team.  The teams then each played two games.  The KFC Action Zones, which are inflatables that enable kids to improve their skills in a fun way, were stationed at the grounds.

But there was more to the day today than just cricket explains Lauren Turnbull, KFC CSI and Sponsorships Manager. “The best way to get a message across to kids is through other kids and with this in mind we have introduced a kids ambassador search this year.  At each festival, including Willowmore Park, we set up an audition area to select kid ambassadors who will be used to promote our KFC Mini-Cricket message which is to encourage kids to get active and get into KFC Mini-Cricket. “

KFC partnered with Cricket South Africa (CSA) in 2010 with the aim of reaching as many children as possible and to promote an active and balanced lifestyle. The 2011/12 season saw the programme grow by 20%, double the target set, so there are now over 100 000 kids actively involved.

The focus this season is the KFC Mini-Cricket kids ambassador search and for kids already in the programme to play more frequently. “This season we will ensure that we maintain and improve the quality of cricket played by the children and will continue to encourage enrolment. A main focus for this season will be the growth of KFC Mini-Cricket into rural communities,” said Niels Momberg, Youth Cricket Manager at CSA.

AB De Villiers has been an ambassador of KFC Mini-Cricket since 2010 and is an inspiration to the kids involved.  “Everyone needs an introduction into a particular sport and we couldn’t ask for a better way than to be involved in KFC Mini-Cricket. I believe this season will entice even more kids into the programme and I bet it will unearth some characters as ambassadors.  I will have to work hard to keep my position as the ambassador.”

KFC is immensely proud of their involvement with KFC Mini-Cricket:  “What we have achieved to date goes far beyond our expectations.  Our message is to encourage active and balanced lifestyles for children and each season we look at ensuring that the kids have fun outdoors, this season is proving to be no different,” said Turnbull.

Each of the 16 cricket provinces will stage a KFC Mini-Cricket festival and the Easterns festival was the third.  KFC and CSA remain committed to building cricket amongst the youth now and well into the future.

 

Get into Action, Get into KFC Mini-Cricket

KFC launched its third year of involvement in the KFC Mini-Cricket programme at a festival held at Sacred Heart College, Observatory with 250 kids getting active on the field. KFC partnered with Cricket South Africa (CSA) in 2010 with the aim of reaching as many children as possible between the ages of 3 and 13 to promote an active and balanced lifestyle.

The focus thisseason will be the KFC Mini-Cricket kids ambassador search which will get kids encouraging other kids to join the programme and for kids already in the programme to play more frequently. Last year the KFC Mini-Cricket programme grew from 83 000 kids to over 100 000 kids playing in the programme.“This season we will ensure that we maintain and improve the quality of cricket played by the children and will continue to encourage enrolment. A main focus for this season will be the growth of KFC Mini-Cricket into rural communities.”Niels Momberg, Youth Cricket Manager at CSA.

The KFC Mini-Cricket kids ambassador search will take place at the 16 provincial festivals with live audition areas where the most charismatic and energetic children will be chosen to be ambassadors for the programme.  These ambassadors will work with KFC’s Mini-Cricket ambassador AB de Villiers to get more kids playing cricket.

AB De Villiers has been an ambassador of KFC Mini-Cricket since 2010 and is an inspiration to the kids involved.  “Everyone needs an introduction into a particular sport and we couldn’t ask for a better way than to be involved in KFC Mini-Cricket. I believe this season will entice even more kids into the programme and I bet it will unearth some characters as ambassadors.  I will have to work hard to keep my position as the ambassador.”

Chief Marketing Officer of KFC, Dave Timm, said of the new campaign:  “We are immensely proud of our involvement with KFC Mini-Cricket and what we have achieved to date and this season will be even more entertaining for the kids.  KFC encourages active and balanced lifestyles for children and each season we look at ensuring that the kids have fun outdoors.”

Former Proteas player Neil McKenzie and his wife Kerry,together with their two kids attended the launch in support of the programme.  “Cricket has had a major and wonderful impact on my life, and will continue to do so and both Kerry and I want our kids to develop a love for the game as early as possible.  Who knows, perhaps my son and daughter will one day be professionals like their father and grand-father!”

The 2012/13 KFC Mini-Cricket season promises to be an unforgettable one and both KFC and CSA have committed to continuing to build the programme well into the future.

 

SAFA TRANSNET FOOTBALL SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE CROWNED 2012 SANLAM KAY MOTSEPE SCHOOLS CUP CHAMPIONS WINNING R1 MILLION

The School of Excellence, based in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, has been quiet for the past few years as they struggled to get back to the winning days of the past when players like Steven Pienaar attended.  But this changed on Saturday when the school was crowned the 2012 Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup champions after beating East High College of Excellence from Mpumalanga 6 – 5 on penalties.  The game was locked 2-all at the end of regulation time.

The R1 million prize money – and the extra R100 000 the school won  as Gauteng provincial champions – has come at just the right time as long time sponsors, Transnet, will no longer be helping to fund the school.  Having Khabo Zondo, a well-respected and experienced professional coach at the school contributed to the team’s success.

“We have worked hard over the past month to get on top form,” said Zondo.  “The boys didn’t even take the holiday break but stayed at school to train. What pleased me the most about the National Finals was the high standard of football.  Furthermore, there are an increasing number of Academies opening which can only be good for South African football.”

The school further took home three individual awards:  Mbulelo Ngcobe (Best Goal Keeper), Stanley Muishond (Top Goal Scorer – 6 goals) and Paseka Sekebe (Player of the Tournament).

Sekebe was excited to have been named the ‘Player of the Tournament’.  He is hoping that one of the scouts that attended the tournament will offer him a contract as his greatest ambition is to play at the highest level of the game.  Although he stressed that he would like to continue studying after school (as he wants to be a successful businessman one day) as well as open his own academy to help develop more players so that South Africa will be a top football playing country like Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Italy and the likes.

East High coach, Petrus Ndlovu, was happy to make it to the National Finals and says this was a learning curve for him and he will be back next year, with most of the same squad. He believes East High will win the second time around.  “This is our second outing in this tournament.  Last year we didn’t make it to the National Finals and it was my priority to do well in 2012.  I then selected my key four players and went out to find players to beef up the squad.  Most of the squad will be back next year as I have a two year strategy.

East High team captain, Lebohang Maphanga, is happy to have won R700 000 (i.e. R600 000 for second place and R100 000 as provincial champions) for the school:  “I have been with the school for four years and will now focus on my final exams as I want to do well to be able to go to Wits next year and study for my chartered accounting degree. Through the money I helped win for the school I have left a legacy behind which I am proud of.”

The Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup National Finals lived up to expectations as an exciting and entertaining football development tournament.  “Sanlam understands the value of development and the opportunity it gives youngsters to achieve what they hope for,” said Frank Louw, Sponsorship Manager at Sanlam. “We believe that the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup creates opportunities that have a positive impact on the youth, and provides exposure to scouts for talented players.  This National Finals achieved the objectives and I am confident that a number of the players from this tournament will become high profile names in the near future.”

In the other games of the day Rosina Sedibane – Modiba Sports School  beat Harmony High School  1 – 0 to finish in third position winning R500 000 while Harmony clinched fourth position winning R400 000 and R100 000 as Free State provincial champions.

FINAL RESULTS

 
THIRD/FOURTH PLAY-OFF
Rosina Sedibane – Modiba Sports School 1 v Harmony High School 0
GOAL:  Thabang Konaite
 
FINAL
School of Excellence (2) 6  v East High (2) 5
Goals:  SOE:  Richard Moremi, Aubrey Modiba
Goals:  East High:  Muzi Thabotha, Khulekani Mashego
 
INDIVIDUAL PRIZE WINNERS
 
Best Goal Keeper: Mbulelo Ngcobe (School of Excellence)
Top Goal Scorer: Stanley Muishond 6 Goals (School of Excellence)
Player of the tournament : Paseka Sekebe (School of Excellence)
Coach of the tournaments: Petrus Ndlovu (East High College of Excellence)
Fair Play Award: Gaopalelwe Secondary School from North West
 
FINAL POSITIONS
 

POSITION	SCHOOL
1	School of Excellence (GP)  R1 million + R100 000 as Provincial Champions
2	East High (MP) R600 000 + R100 000 as Provincial Champions
3	Rosina (GP) (R500 00)
4	Harmony High (FS)  (R400 000) + R100 000 as Provincial Champions
5	Steenberg Secondary School (WC)   R100 000 as Provincial Champions
6	Ezibukweni High School (KZN)  R100 000 as Provincial Champions
7	Lingilihle Secondary School (EC)   R100 000 as Provincial Champions
8	Mmamoka Secondary School  (LP)
9	Lindile Seconadry School (PM)
10	Dr Reginald Cingo Comprehensive School (FS)
11	Emtshezi Secondary School (KZN)
12	Cloestesville Secondary School (WC)
13	Rietvale High School (NC)     R100 000 as Provincial Champions
14	Mnceba Secondary School (EC)
15	Benny Care Sports Academy (LP)    R100 000 as Provincial Champions
16	Sol Plaatje Secondary School (NW)  R100 000 as Provincial Champions
17	Gaopalelwe Secondary School (WC)
18	Langberg Secondary School (NC)

 

EAST HIGH COLLEGE AND SAFA FOOTBALL SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE TO MEET IN SANLAM KAY MOTSEPE SCHOOLS CUP THE FINALS

The 2012 Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup draws to a close on Saturday with the final being contested by Mpumalanga’s East High and Gauteng’s School of Excellence

The match takes place at 12 noon at Bloemfontein’s Central University of technology and the winner of the match will take away the biggest prize in school sport in South Africa – a budget of R1 million to spend on sporting and educational facilities for their school.

East High and School of Excellence are both good value for their places in the tournament’s prestige match.

East High came through the all the preceding rounds unbeaten. They topped their pool without losing a game and accounted for Steenberg, on penalties in their quarterfinal.

They then ruined Rosina Sedibane’s hopes by scoring two goals in the space of five minutes late in their semifinal to beat them 2-0.

The semifinal between the defending champions, Harmony, and Gauteng’s School of Excellence ended goalless and the sides went into a tense penalty shootout which was eventually won by the Joburg side, in a sudden death shootout, after the teams had traded goal for goal and miss for miss earlier on.

School of Excellence lost their opening game in the round-robin phase, but got stronger and stronger as the tournament proceeded and they looked the most complete side in the closing stages.They were also markedly fitter than their opponents, which counted for much in an event which saw them each team play six matches in three days, in hot windy conditions which made for extremely heavy going.

Results

Quarterfinals: – East High 0 Steenberg 0 (East High won on penalties); Rosina Sedibane 1 Mmamoka 0; School of Excellence 2 Ligelihle 1, Harmony 1 Ezibukweni 0.

Semifinals: – East High 2 Rosina Sedibane 0; School of Excellence 0 Harmony Sports Academy 0 (School of Excellence won on penalties).

Playoffs: 5^th Position – Steenberg 2 Ezibukweni 1; 7^th position – Lindile 0 Mmamoka 0 (Mmamoka won on penalties); 9^th position – Dr R Cingo 0 Lindile 0 (Lindile won on penalties); 11^th position – Cloetesville 0 Emtshezi 0 (Emtshezi won on penalties); 13^th position – Rietvale 1 Mceba 1 (Rietvlei won on penalties); 15^th position – Benny’s Care Academy 0 Sol Plaatjie 0 (Sol Plaatjie won on penalties), 17^th position – Gaopalelwe 3 Langberg 0.