Mali plays the game with young future talents
Former sports great hands over much-needed kit
THE indigent community Santini in Igoda Mouth just outside East London got a push in the right direction when former cricket administrator Ray Mali donated a much-needed soccer kit to their local football team.
Mali reached out to the impoverished community of the informal settlement after he saw that their local club Ace Mate FC had no playing kit.
He said he wanted the community to continue fighting the scourge of crime and substance abuse through sport just like in the olden days.
Team manager of Ace Mate FC, Mzikayise Tshali couldn't articulate himself as he was overjoyed by Mali's gesture of good faith, but he said the soccer jerseys, socks, and shorts would go a long way in motivating their youth to fight for a bright future, despite their backgrounds.
“We didn't expect this and now we feel very happy and motivated as a team, because this entire community loves sport.
“There's no sport that we don't play here, but we didn't have an idea where to start in order to get something like a kit.
“And we are proud to have Mr Mali availing himself to us because our children also have talents like other kids from other places.”
Tshali said they would take other sporting codes like netball more seriously, because they wanted every young person to keep busy by playing sport which would take up their time from unsavoury activities like drinking alcohol.
“Sport really helps us to reduce crime and violence and we'd like our kids whenever they are free they have something to do.
“And that's where this kit will help us because more guys are going to want to play now.”
The former president of International Cricket Council said having grown up playing sport – he wanted to see children having something to do with their spare time.
“The most important thing to me is sport and it's a wonderful thing to see children being occupied with it.
“It's not like I was trying to score any points here, I have a teaching background where I was coaching soccer, rugby, and cricket and that has never today.”
Mali said seeing children who grew up in informal settlements pained him because of the lack of infrastructure that could develop their skills and talents.
“We need to open playing fields for children who live in such areas at least and anyone who can afford should see how they can help those ones who don't have anything.
“For instance, the municipality can provide communities like this one with graders that can construct fields, just to open up a field. We are not asking for an Ellis Park.
“But just a space where our children can play on, and that can also help us produce better players for the future.”
Mali has always been a sporting fanatic, he’s played cricket for Eastern Province U19 while he was studying at Cowen High School in Port Elizabeth.
After that he went on to captain the senior team at Lovedale College where he was studying with former statesman Thabo Mbeki, former MK general Chris Hani and Anglican Archbishop Emeritus Njongonkulu Ndungane.
He then went onto play for Border Rugby in the 1950s while studying at the University of Fort Hare. left me, hence I'm here