A young cricketer from the Nolukhanyo Township outside Bathurst has been invited to speak at a gala dinner at the Lords Cricket Ground in London, England, where the Queen herself and other dignitaries will be in attendance.
A young cricketer from the Nolukhanyo Township outside Bathurst has been invited to speak at a gala dinner at the Lords Cricket Ground in London, England, where the Queen herself and other dignitaries will be in attendance.
Masixole Mkrakra, a Silver award participant in the President’s Award for Youth Empowerment Programme and a member of the Tiger Titans cricket team will be going to England to attend the fundraising dinner on 21 March.
This follows an invitation extended two years ago to Tiger Titans founder, Ross McCreath to speak at the same venue, also known as the home of cricket. Masixole is a Grade 11 pupil at Velile Secondary School in Bathurst. The invitation, extended by Dr Trevor Charmichael, honorary chairman of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award World Fellowship, said that the dinner will highlight sport as a tool for community development in celebration of the London 2012 Olympics.
The dinner will be attended by the Queen of England, Prince Edward, international sporting heroes and the Earl of Wessex, who is chairman of the International Council of the International Award Association. Masixole first enrolled for the youth empowerment programme in May 2010 and has since enrolled onto its Silver level.
To progress from one level to another he had to complete certain tasks like developing a number of skills, including a first aid and cricket coaching course; performing community service like litter removal, planting trees and gathering firewood for funerals in his community and a 24km hike in the Hogsback Mountains.
He received his Bronze Award for the project in September last year and has also been awarded his provincial colours for cricket after being selected for the Eastern Province Rural team in 2010.
