Tour Special South Africa 2012: Ons gaan in die Kaap ... - kon HCVV

Sports clothing deserve a second life!
A REPORT BY ROD LYALL, EDITOR WITH CRICKETEUROPE
There was a party atmosphere at De Diepput on Tuesday afternoon 14 June 2011 as
the combined sports club Koninklijke HC&VV launched its ‘Zuid Afrika Sport’ campaign
towards the 2012 cricket tour to South Africa.
The aim of the initiative is to fill a container
with surplus sports equipment and to
send it to South Africa to be used by lessprivileged
children there. The campaign
is linked to the U16 cricket tour to South
Africa, which will take place at the same
time that the container is due to arrive.
Enlivened by the presence of a samba band
and an enthusiastic bunch of HCC’s junior
cricketers, the launch included HCC and
14 TOUR SPECIAL SOUTH AFRICA December 2011
former Dutch international captain Jeroen
Smits bowling a ball into the empty container.
This was followed by a football, kicked
by former HVV star Derick Mekking.
Smits also presented the chairman of
the appeal committee, Fred Staal, with a
unique and evocative item, the shirt he
wore as he led the Netherlands to their
remarkable victory over England at Lord’s
in the 2010 World Twenty20 tournament.
The formal inauguration was followed by
coaching sessions for the youth players,
led by New Zealand overseas pro Dean
Brownlie, Dutch international Tom de
Grooth, and by HCC’s South African
contingent, Stephan Myburgh.
Fred Staal is very clear about the pressing
need for sports clothing and equipment in
South Africa. The massive economic and
social inequalities, which existed under
apartheid, cannot be eliminated within
one generation, and huge numbers of
children have limited opportunities to take
part in organised sport.
“The idea is that our youth players themselves
take the initiative in this project,”
Staal says, “with the assistance of their
parents where necessary. In that way,
we aim not only to help young people in
South Africa, but also to raise the social
awareness of our members.”
Staal hopes that other clubs will join in
the appeal by donating clothing and
equipment for a range of sports. That
includes just about anything apart from
Alpine skiing, although he does not rule
out water skis.
The container, donated by sponsors Van
Weelde Shipping, will be housed at De