DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME HALTED

MBABANE – The cricket development programme for primary schools will have to wait until it is safe for the children to play.

This was according to Eswatini Cricket Association’s (ECA) Vice President Delisa Malinga, who is also the programme’s coordinator and coach. Malinga said this during the cricket league season one T-20 finals played between Pak XI and Rontanya XI last Sunday at Malkerns Club. Malinga extended his appreciation to government for allowing cricket to return but admitted that this was too risky for the primary school children, who need to be monitored at all times to ensure that they do not breach the health guidelines prescribed by government.

Reach

In a bid to expand and decentralise the sport from private schools to government schools and also reach out to children in rural settlements the programme was established. Malinga and a team of local coaches visited schools in all four regions and engaged children who showed interest in the sport. At some point, they engaged about 2 000 children in one day before the COVID-19 outbreak. It was through this programme that the Msunduza cricket team was formed and unearthed young talent that was buried in the location.

“The cricket development programme and the under-13 league for primary schools will have to wait mainly because we deal with a lot of children and it will be a challenge trying to control them,” said Malinga. He said that the tournament for high schools would continue in due course but the teams would have to fully comply with the health guidelines such as observing social distancing, maintaining good hand hygiene, avoid sharing equipment and personal belongings, fumigation of equipment and seeking new ways of celebrating without getting in close contact with one another. “We will not be visiting schools but teams will be summoned for a game and we will ensure that all the precautionary measures are observed,” said Malinga. He further said that the ECA’s executive members would hold a meeting today, where they would plan fixtures for the next season as well as plan for high schools’ tournaments.

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