KFC is on the forefront of nurturing future cricket stars
JOBURG – More than 60 children gathered at Queens High School on 9 November for KFC Mini-Cricket Festival coaching clinics.
Seven primary schools from Alexandra and one from Bramley joined their counterparts from other areas of Johannesburg at Queens High School for a day of KFC Mini-Cricket Festival coaching clinics.
The Alex schools were Ekukhanyisweni, Dr Knak, Gordon, Ikage, Iphutheng, MC Weiler and Skeen primary schools, including Bramley Primary School.
Back: Lindokuhle Biyela, Nobuhle Dladla and Amahle Pitso. Photo: Zanele Siso/Zanephoto
Speaking in an interview with the editor of Alex News, Cricket South Africa’s mass participation co-ordinator Buhle Motshegoa said promising players would be identified and selected from the more than 60 at the festival and would be given intensive training at the various cricket hubs around Johannesburg.
“All this would be done in the hope of nurturing and grooming the potential future stars of the Proteas, as legacy has it that a number of former and current stars of the national cricket squad, including a number of coaches and some administrators were identified through this programme.
“We want to continue the legacy and ensure that we build a pool of players that will rise through the ranks and one day become leading members of the Proteas,” Motshegoa said.
She added that Cricket South Africa had extended its relationship and partnership with KFC to 2025. “This is a programme that has been tried and tested for over 35 years as the Bakers Mini-Cricket Festival and KFC for the past 11 years.
“We’re overall happy with the performance of the programme so far although there is still room for improvement.”
Miguel Pretorius, whom plays for the Highveld Lions and was a product of this programme in 2002 said, “I am living proof that the KFC Mini-Cricket Festival was a good and working programme as I am one of those who came through it.”
Pretorius’ message to up and coming cricketers was for them listen to their coaches, take instructions and use them and continue to attend training sessions and ‘one day they too could be like me and many other outstanding cricketers of this country’.
“I am well aware that not all of these children will make it playing cricket but the few that do is a great achievement and others can branch out to other fields within the sport of cricket or even change sporting codes for that matter, hence I urge them to take the clinics seriously.”
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