A LOCAL basketball fanatic, Andile Msomi, recently had the experience of a lifetime, after being invited to attend the Laureus World Sports Awards in Monaco.
For a young woman who aspires to help the youth to better themselves through the game of basketball, the opportunity to attend the annual awards ceremony which honours remarkable individuals from the world of sport along with the greatest sporting achievements throughout the year, was something she never envisaged would be a reality.
Andile, who works with PeacePlayers International (PPI), a non-profit organisation which uses basketball to unite, educate and inspire young people, has been playing basketball since she was 14 years old.
“I was in primary school and I saw people from PPI, which was then called Playing for Peace, at my school. I couldn’t get involved as I was only in Grade 5, but I used to go and watch the games, and I loved the sport. I started playing in Grade 6 and it was my way to get away from things, my therapy. I played every day on the street with my family and a friend who introduced me to the sport,” she said.
Passionate about the sport, she joined the team at Saphinda Primary School where she played for two years. From there she played for Umlazi, and played and coached for PPI during her time at high school, continuing to coach for PPI while at university.
In her first year of studies in sports science at UKZN she became coach of a team and kept her passion going. Up to the age of 21 she took part in the Kwanaloga municipal games playing for the district and represented eThekwini in the sport. She played for the university and province and was also once invited for trials for South Africa. She currently plays for a club she put together last year called Lady Assassins.
As Andile had a close relationship with a man from the Youth Empowerment through Sport (YES) programme, an initiative of the Laureus Foundation, the opportunity arose for her to attend Laureus.
Launched in 2012, the YES programme focuses on equipping the youth with the technical, vocational, entrepreneurship and life skills needed to develop sustainable livelihoods. The programme targets school leavers, ages 18 to 25 with particular attention given to young people who are passionate about sport and the upliftment of local communities, something Andile is passionate about.
“The idea of the programme is to motivate youth to reach new heights through sports. I was part of the programme and was invited to go cover the awards, which are hosted once a year to celebrate talent in sport. This year it was in Monaco, which was very exciting. While covering the event, I got to ask the champs what sport meant to them, to bring the awards closer to the youth, for them to aspire to be there too. It was mindblowing to be there. Sport provided me this opportunity off and on the court to take me to places I never imagined I would be! I hope more than anything that the youth involved in PPI would see me there and realise it is possible,” she said.
Andile said being back home after her experience, she is motivated and inspired to do more through sport.
“I learnt so much in a space of a few days. My goal is for my team to practice hard and work towards being great. I aim to motivate children to reach new heights, using sport and their voices for social change,” she said.
