Rising Against The Odds

 

I visited two sports fields in the last week. The “visits” were to capture moments at two very contrasting events. The one was to take pictures of an initiative to uplift a fledgling soccer team in Blikkiesdorp, while the other was to capture the moments at the award ceremony of the Hanover Park Cricket club.

Marchelle Hendricks invited me to meet Coach Errol and Mendoza, the captain of Bliikkiesdorp United. Mandoza is twenty years old and in Grade twelve. He came straight from a winter school class to meet with us. They were brought to the Cape Town Spurs field to meet Liam and club owner Alexi Efstathiou. The soon to be launched initiative is called “Boots For Blikkies”. The management and team of CTS have taken Blikkies United under their wings so to say and drive an initiative to supply BU with kit for the upcoming season. It is one of those “watch this space” events waiting in the wings.

Amidst all of that I had the opportunity to chat to Alexi Efstathiou. A humble man with the passion for the beautiful game running in his veins. The facilities at the Spurs academy are state of the art. All of it funded by the owners. They get little help from higher up and the reality is the fact that they finished thirteenth in the lower league last season will not bode well for any major sponsorship deal landing anytime soon. However, in the words of Alexi, they will “continue the fight to get back up as long as we are able”. 

As we walked across the field I asked about what sort of support is available from SAFA. The answer came back with two phrases. “None whatsoever” and “corruption is rife”. Alexi is enormously proud of the youth soccer academy. At the moment there are a group of young men who are living in the dormitory, been coached and taught subjects that will enable them with varsity entrance as well as develop to the point where one day, they may just be able to play for the national team. Such is the quality of the coaching and teaching at the Spurs academy, all funded by Alexi and his team. And now they have taken on the responsibility to help Blikkiesdorp United, a team that coach Errol has moulded with pride and hard work from an area where the history is well known.  

I visited the Hanover Park Cricket club earlier this year at the invitation of club chairman Ashraf Allie. He wanted me to see the conditions of the field they practice on. Siri guided me to the neighboring soccer field with its clubhouse and beautiful green fields. I was quickly corrected by an over eager security guard who showed me the cricket field in the distance. I arrived to find Mr Allie and the guys going through their paces. What I did not know was that the legendary Omar Henry was also “in the house” to provide valuable insights into the art of spin bowling. The nets were in desperate need of repair while the field and the pitch was covered in thorns and very uneven, hardly fit to play on.

Alas, Saturday past I sat in the Presidential suite at the Newlands Cricket stadium with the task of capturing moments. Omar Henry was “in the house” again. Along with men and women of influence and power. Men like Gasant Abarder and Lorenzo Davids. The Fishrite Hanover Park Cricket club was there to celebrate the fruits of their hard work and commitment. With every frame I shot, I could see the pride in the eyes of the young women and men who had achieved what may have seemed impossible at times. A simple trophy, held aloft with pride and embraced with humility.  It was truly a night of champions. 

On the way home the wife and I reflected. The question I kept asking is why our youth have to always rise against the odds. The crime and poverty in Blikkies and Hanover Park is well documented. It’s almost daily news. Yet amidst all that men like Coach Errol and Ashraf Allie see potential and dare to dream. They see youth that can be taken out of what and where they find themselves and take them to the Cape Town Spurs field and to the Presidential Suite at Newlands. Yet why must it always be “against the odds”. 

I believe Alexi provides part of the answer. Corruption. Corruption in sport is rife and may even be somewhat under reported. The other part is I believe a common phrase my ex-boss used to use liberally. “Ek ken mense wat mense ken”. Directly translated, “I know people who know people”. Quite simply, it comes down to who you know. How well connected you are. Here I need to confess. I use this often to my advantage. However, there is a positive and a negative side to this. Ask Jacob.   

In conclusion. We need to drink to the health of men like Coach Errol and Ashraf Allie. Along with men like Alexi and Omar Henry. They are investing time, money and lots of energy into raising our future leaders. Young women and men that will one day, hopefully, shine on the worlds sporting stage. And they will look back with pride and say, “we came from there”.