By Clifford Sihlezana.
South Africa’s leading cricket development programme – KFC Mini-Cricket – received a boost in the Western Cape at the annual KFC Mini-Cricket provincial seminar. Coaches, volunteers, administrators, key stakeholders and coordinators gathered at the Western Province Cricket Association (WPCA) at Newlands Stadium in Cape Town last weekend to listen to how the season will unfold.
The guest speaker was former Momentum Proteas player and current Proteas Women’s academy head coach, Denishia Devnarain. She spoke about her journey from KFC Mini-Cricket to the position that she currently holds at Cricket South Africa.
She acknowledged the coaches for their contribution to the programme. She highlighted the fact that it was a KFC Mini-Cricket coach that got her interested in the sport and influenced her path to becoming a Proteas player and a coach.
“The role of a volunteer coach is critical in Cricket South Africa pipeline to the future. It was my time playing KFC Mini-Cricket that helped me fall in love with the game. I owe so much to cricket,” said Devnarain.
“My love and passion for the sport helped me obtain a bursary and now have my BCom Finance and BCom HRM degrees. I have opted to continue in cricket and progressed from a professional cricketer to a coach. I have broken barriers by becoming the first female coach with a level 3 coaching qualification to become the Proteas Women’s academy head coach. The programme does not only produce world class players but helps build role models and community leaders that bring hope and motivation to the youth. Hopefully I am testament to this,”explained Devnarain.
The 2021/22 KFC Mini-Cricket Provincial seminar was hosted in person for the first time in two years with limited delegates and guests while those that could not attend in person did so virtually.
The overarching theme of this year’s KFC Mini-Cricket festival is “Imvuselelo” or “Recovery” as South Africa continues to recover and rebuild from the devastating impact of the covid19 pandemic. The KFC Mini-Cricket programme has given all involved a renewed sense of hope for South Africa’s young cricket fanatics ahead of the 2021/22 season.
The 2021/22 season is a milestone one as KFC enters its 12th year as sponsor and partner of Cricket South Africa for the KFC Mini-Cricket programme while the joyous theme continues as KFC celebrates its 50th year in South Africa.
“This year is a momentous occasion for us as we turn 50 in South Africa. That’s 50 years of spreading finger lickin’ goodness. There is no better way to celebrate our milestone than by recognizing our phenomenal volunteer coaches and coordinators.,” said KFC CSI Manger Andra Ferreira Nel.
“These inspiring individuals epitomise all that is great about South Africa. Their selfless dedication allows the programme to be all-inclusive and teach the kids important life skills whilst they get active in a fun and healthy way by playing a sport that they love. They champion the spirit of community by keeping the Mini Cricket flame alive in their corners of our country and we could not be prouder to partner with them for the coming season,” continued Ferreira Nel.
While safety remains the paramount priority, there is a tangible excitement about getting back onto the field and playing the game that everyone loves.
“We are very excited to have the 2021/22 KFC Mini-Cricket season get underway as we will get kids across different communities active. However, we are still aware that the pandemic has not ended, and safety will still be a priority with all protocols still having to be observed in the upcoming seminars and festivals,” reassured CSA Mass participation manager David Mokopanele.
“The majority of our administrators and volunteers have been vaccinated during the season break and we hope this will go a long way towards increasing the safety within the KFC Mini-Cricket season, allowing us to get more kids active for a sustained period this season,” Mokopanele concluded.
Since the inception of the program, some 2.5 million kids have played KFC Mini-Cricket and over 120 players have gone on to play for South Africa in various teams. The programme plays a crucial role in CSA’s development framework as over 2 000 players have been identified in the programme and have been directed to their respective Development Hubs and Regional Performance Centres.