Springboks captain Siya Kolisi has urged Nathi to take as much time as he needs to recover. Pictures: Steve Haag/Gallo Images and Instagram/@basetsanakumalo
Media mogul Basetsana Kumalo said last year her son, Nathi, got injured during a soccer match and she asked Springboks captain Siya Kolisi to send him a message of encouragement.
The beauty queen said Nathi, who was doing grade 11 at the time, was heartbroken as he was told he wouldn’t be able to play for 10 months.
According to Basetsana, Nathi tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) as he was scoring a goal.
“He loves his sport and is brilliant at it, whether it’s soccer, basketball, rugby, athletics. He was gutted, I was inconsolable. I asked @rachelkolisi to ask @siyakolisi to send him a message of encouragement.”
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In a heart-warming video that Basetsana shared on her Instagram page recently, Siya wished the young man a speedy recovery.
“I want to wish you all the best with your surgery. I hope it goes well, and I am so sorry about your injury. It’s one of the things that we have to deal with as sportsmen, especially for you at school.
“Stay strong and stay positive. Keep on working hard and lean on your family… Take as much time as you need to get through what you are going through.”
Basetsana said Siya’s kind words made her son courageous.
She added: “In less than a day, Nathi received the message and it helped him dig deep into his resolve to face this challenge head on. The prognosis was that he would not be able to be back on the sporting field for 10 months, so basically, he has not been able to play sports during his matric year.
“That’s the measure of the man that is our captain, and thank you once again, Rachel. You both are one of a kind. Blessings to your family.”
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