For the past five weeks more than 3000 young learners from 11 regions including Mitchell’s Plain, Manenberg, Gugulethu, Langa, Ocean View, Masipumelele, Elsies River, Khayelitsha and Macassar have taken to the streets, to compete in the 2010 Sporting Chance Street Cricket League.

The Sporting Chance Street Cricket League, in association with Disney, Grand West CSI and the HCI Foundation, is in its seventh successful season and according to event organiser Brad Bing of Sporting Chance, the youth sports development agency that launched the street cricket league in 2003, the initiative has enjoyed unprecedented success since its humble beginnings as a pilot project in Langa.

Western Cape Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Dr Ivan Meyer, who attended the finals, applauded the initiative. “Projects like this show children the value of sport whilst bringing communities and cultures together. Sports development is very important to the Western Cape and initiatives like this really add value to our communities,” said Dr Meyer.

Bing concurs. “The communities are filled with sports mad children and the street cricket league allows them to be actively involved in cricket and the enjoyment that goes with it, in their very own neighbourhoods.”

Regional cricket clubs and sports organisations in association with Sporting Chance organise children under 11 into street teams of ten. At least two members of each team must be girls and all must have attended school throughout the year prior to the start of the tournament – all part of Sporting Chance’s philosophy of getting as many children irrespective of race, gender or social class, off the streets and into the sporting environment.

“They don’t like cricket, they love it,” jokes Bing, who also adds that the tournament is more than ‘just a game’. “Up to a certain age, all boys and girls should ideally be exposed to sport and research has shown that you develop your habits by the age of 12,” says Bing. “If you’re not playing sport or leading an active and healthy lifestyle by then, the chances are that sport and being physically active will not feature in your adult lifestyle.”

Heidi Abrahams of GrandWest CSI adds. “By introducing children to an active lifestyle we aim to provide them with healthy alternatives to drugs and crime,” says Abrahams. “We want to get children playing in the annual street cricket tournament and encourage them to enjoy the fun of sport and avoid the temptations of drugs and crime that plague our youth of today.”

“The children in these communities face various challenges,” says Disney’s Amanda D’halluin. “This tournament gives them an opportunity to be part of a team and belong to something – all children want that sense of ‘belonging’ and if we can provide them with valuable programmes and projects, perhaps we can lessen the weight of their challenging environments.”

For more information on the matches contact Brad Bing on 021 683 7299 or events@sportingchance.co.za or visit www.sportingchance.co.za.

In fine form and on the back of his 102 not out against the Dolphins, Gibbs will be advising, coaching and mentoring keen cricketers from selected impoverished communities in the build up to the regional finals on 20^th November 2009.

The sixth annual Sporting Chance Street Cricket League, in association with Disney Enterprises, the City of Cape Town, various private donors and with media partners, Good Hope fm and Lets Play commenced on Friday 16th October 2009 and has so far seen over 3 000 participants competing in the 12 regional championship areas after four weeks of competitive street cricket.

What makes the Sporting Chance Street Cricket League so exciting is that despite the obstacles of houses, washing lines and vehicles, the game still goes on. “It’s amazing to see how unique and different all the regions are for instance in Manenberg and Elsies River matches are played in the flat courtyards and balls rebound against the high walls while in Khayelitsha shacks and corrugated iron line the sides of the playing area creating interesting fielders” said Natalie Pollock, Project manager for the Sporting Chance Street Cricket League.

Whilst every participant is rewarded with a certificate of participation, the regional winners will receive a trophy with winner’s medals, and the Western Cape Street Cricket champions will receive the converted trophy, winner’s medals and a brand new pair of trainers.

Managing Director of Sporting Chance, Brad Bing who started the first Street Cricket League in 2003, says the initiative has enjoyed unprecedented success since its humble beginnings as a pilot project in Langa. “We have had a huge response from our communities who have made the Sporting Chance Street Cricket League part of their weekly diaries and with high profiled players like Herschelle Gibbs attending, this will only add flair to both players and spectators alike” said Bing.

Macassar only joined the league for the first time this year but there is certainly some great cricket talent and I give fair warning to the other teams in the league that Macassar will have a competitive team in this years Street Cricket Finals on the 26^th of November which is a day before the Proteas take on England in a One Day International at Newlands. The Macassar league is being coordinated by 2 extremely passionate sportsmen, John and Lewellyn who run the Helderberg Athletics Academy. I commend them on their passion and am glad to have them as part of the Sporting Chance team.

Khayelitsha was my next stop on Friday and as always they did not disappoint. The streets were filled with girls and boys playing cricket and the community support was great to see. 

I look forward to Friday 13^th November to head out for some more Street Cricket action and will be sure to give a full report on all the action at the regional finals of all 12 regions on the 20^th November 2009

After Elsies I headed to the township of Nyanga where the talent was in abundance as their coaches have insisted on extra training for their teams once a week. Nyanga Street Cricket is coordinated by the passionate Mxo Tywaku who has organized a fantastic league with they help from his dedicated coaches. Nyanga are playing hard to keep the Street Cricket Trophy which they won convincingly last year. With new young talent that is coming through I reckon they will field a great team in the finals in Langa.

I have received great feedback from all coordinators in each region. Cyril Pelston the coordinator in Manenberg informed me” After three weeks of street cricket matches, there is so much excitement in the Manenberg community. Street cricket has become part of the culture of our community and helps to add value and growth in communities”.

I wish all the teams luck for the upcoming week and look forward to some more Street Cricket this Friday.

 This is the second year Masiphumelele has been involved in the Annual Street Cricket league and the atmosphere was something not to be missed. Those not participating were lining the streets cheering the teams on, the coaches were filled with enthusiasm and support for the children and the cricket talent was in abundance.

After Masiphumelele I headed out to Ocean View were the Streets were covered with children in yellow t-shirts all excited at the prospects that their team could join the other regions at the Street Cricket Final in Langa. It was great to see the support from the community and the resident DJ playing some great tunes to keep the spirits high.

The co-ordinators in the other regions assured me that week 2 went well and that the competition is hotting up. I look forward to week 3 in the various regions and wish all the teams luck in the upcoming week.

For more detailed information on each regions league please don’t hesitate to contact Sporting Chance. 021 683 7299

Each league has 250 participants and coaches and will involve boys and girls under the age of 11. It runs for 7 weeks and encourages kids to get involved in sport as an alternative to getting involved with gangs and drugs which plague many of these communities especially between the dangerous hours of 14h00 till 18h00. 

A big thank you must go to our loyal sponsors Disney Enterprises, City of Cape Town, our numerous private donors with media partners Good Hope FM and Super Sport Lets Play also getting involved in the action. The support from the sponsors allows the league to happen each year and for Sporting Chance to employ a league co-ordinator and 20 coaches in each region.

The Street Cricket league regional finals will take place on Friday 20^th November in the various regions to find the regional finalist who will join the other regional finalists at the annual Street Cricket final in Langa on Thursday 26^th November – the home of Street Cricket.

For more information about the league details, please contact Sporting Chance on 021 683 7299

Since the kick off teams from 15 regions have been playing weekly, and after some fierce competition will be playing against one another in regional finals this week on 14^th November at 15h00. The top team from each league will then participate in the Street Cricket finals in Langa from 15h00 to 19h00 on Friday 21^st November, competing for the coveted Pinnacle Point Street Cricket Champions’ Trophy.

The initiative, which is in its fifth successful season, has introduced children from Gugulethu, Khayelitsha, Kwezi, Nyanga, Langa, Elsies River, Manenberg, Mitchells Plain, Ocean View and  Masipumelele in Cape Town, Lwandle in Strand, Atlantis, and Kwa Nonqaba, D’almeida and Civic Park in Mossel Bay, to the game of cricket over a gruelling six-week period.

Brad Bing, MD of youth sports development agency Sporting Chance – who started the first street cricket league in 2003, says the initiative has enjoyed unprecedented success since its humble beginnings as a pilot project in Langa.

“This year we’ve included four new areas in the Western Cape taking the total number of regions up to 15. The emerging communities are filled with sport mad children and the street cricket league allows them to be actively involved in cricket and the enjoyment that goes with it in their very own neighbourhoods”, says Bing.

Regional cricket clubs and sports organisations in association with Sporting Chance organise children under 11 years old into street teams of ten. At least two members of each team must be girls and all the children must have attended school throughout the year and belong to a sport organisation or club prior to the start of the tournament – all part of Sporting Chance’s philosophy of getting as many children irrespective of race, gender or social class, off the streets, educated and into a sporting environment.

Streets in the various communities serve as the pitches, and are closed off for the matches once a week (Friday afternoon in Cape Town and Sunday afternoon in Mossel Bay), spectators are welcome.

The initiative enjoys the backing of the National Department of Health, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Education and Community Safety, and associate sponsors include Disney, Absa, the City of Cape Town, Lets Play and Good Hope fm.

For more information on the matches contact Brad Bing on 021 683 7299 or brad@sportingchance.co.za or visit www.sportingchance.co.za.