"It's just after 3pm on a Friday and 22-year-old Sinelethu Yaso is in her happy place. Her spotless cricket whites pop against the synthetic green turf, while the upbeat rhythms of kwaito music waft on the breeze as she ambles in to bowl. Beyond the boundary, in the Makhaza area of Khayelitsha township, in South Africa's Cape Flats, laundry flutters on a wire fence and the September sun reflects off a corrugated-iron lean-to."
"There's some incredible talent in the townships, he says. What's lacking is opportunity. The players on the pitch are all beneficiaries of a not-for-profit organisation started by Kirsten in 2014. Establishing a charitable foundation after retiring from the game is not unusual but Kirsten's approach is. Instead of trying to find talented players in the townships and then give them scholarships to wealthy schools or universities in privileged areas, the Catch Trust is all about bringing world-class facilities into the townships."
On a September afternoon in Khayelitsha, 22-year-old Sinelethu Yaso bowls on synthetic turf to upbeat kwaito music, embodying township life. Gary Kirsten, an ex-South African test cricketer, established the Catch Trust in 2014 to bring coaching and world-class cricket facilities into underserved townships rather than relocating players to privileged schools. The Catch Trust serves local players, including youth teams and women, through community-based nets and coaching. Yaso began cricket in 2015 and trained under coach Babalwa Babs Zothe, developing natural bowling skill and participating in practice matches against junior teams. The programme prioritizes opportunity and access.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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