Cricket SA spreads the love of cricket in Alexandra
ALEX – The only difference between those kids from the big schools and kids from the townships is an opportunity.
Cricket SA has come together with the departments of basic education, and sports and recreation to introduce cricket to places where it is not that popular, such as Alex.
Since its inception, this initiative has seen the development of cricket hubs and regional performance centres across the country in all nine provinces. This initiative focuses on poor and previously disadvantaged communities by giving children from these backgrounds the opportunity to learn and grow through cricket.
Part of this initiative are the Momentum Friendship matches where these township hubs get the opportunity to compete against some of the finest Model C schools around the country. What is also great about this is that these township children get to travel to play cricket matches in other parts of the country.
One of these fixtures was a 20/20 match between the Alexandra hub and St Stithians College in the U15 age group, played at the Alexandra Oval Community and Recreation Centre.
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“Nine boys in this team [Alex hub] have been coached by me for the last four years and they have received bursaries to attend Queen’s High School, as well as three of my under 14s. This is just one of many great stories that this initiative has been able to do for the kids and the communities,” said Jason Maswanganyi, head coach of the Alexandra hub.
“We play against big schools like St Stithians and St John’s and the only difference between those kids from the big schools and kids from the townships is an opportunity.”
Having been with the Alex cricket hub for four years, Maswanganyi has played an integral role in making sure that the resources provided by Cricket SA yield positive results. One player in particular, who joined the hub more than seven years ago is all-rounder Ruben Ramodisha. He has not only represented the Alex hub but was also selected for the Gauteng U12 team in 2014 and the following year, the Gauteng U13 team.
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“Being a part of the Alex hub has made it possible for me to play against tougher competition and in return, this has made me a much better player. I owe a lot of my success in the Gauteng provincial team to this hub right here because it has given me the opportunity to be a part of something great,” said Ramodisha.
This initiative is pivotal when it comes to the transformation agenda that the government has been trying to forge when it comes to sports in South Africa. Cricket SA and the hubs around the country are working towards building a future where players from different walks of life can come together and compete and enjoy the game of cricket.
