IKHILIKITHI ngomunye wemidlalo ethandwa kakhulu eNingizimu Afrika njengoba sanda isibalo sabantu abakhombisa intshisekelo yokudlala nokubuka lo mdlalo.
Nokho zisekhona izinselelo ekukhuliseni ezindaweni ezahlukene zakuleli, ikakhulukazi emalokishini nasezindaweni zasemakhaya.
Intatheli yeSolezwe, uXolile Mpisane (XM), ibe nengxoxo ekhethekile noBuhle Vaphi (BV), oyiMass Participation Coordinator kwiCricket South Africa (CSA).
Uyingxenye yethimba elibhekelele ukukhuliswa kwalo mdlalo emazingeni aphansi kuzwelonke ngohlelo lwemidlalo yabafana namantombazane olwaziwa ngeKFC Mini-Cricket.
XM: Ungasitshela kabanzi ngawe nokuthi wangena kanjani kwikhilikithi?
BV: Ngidabuka e-Eastern Cape kuTsolo, kodwa ngakhulela eSoweto. Ngisakhula ngangithanda ezokusubatha ne-netball. Ngaqala ukwazi ngekhilikithi ngikhaphe umfowethu ngo-2009, lapho ngqala khona ukuwuthanda lo mdlalo.
Ngemuva kweminyaka embalwa ngaqala ukusebenzela i-Gauteng Cricket Board ngase ngidlulela kwi-CSA, njengoba sengikulesi sikhundla.
XM: Yini ebhekwe kakhulu kuwena kulesi sikhundla?
BV: Umsebenzi wami wukugcina ubudlelwano obuhle phakathi kwe-CSA neKFC, osekuneminyaka ingabaxhasi beMini-Cricket kuleli. Kumele ngiqinisekise ukuthi izingane ziyayidlala ikhilikithi kuwo wonke amagumbi eNingizimu Afrika nokuthi lo luhlelo singaluthuthukisa kanjani. Sinezinhlangano ezingu-16 ezingamalungu alo luhlelo kuzwelonke, okumele ngiqinisekise ukuthi ziyesekwa.
XM: Lunesikhathi esingakanani luqhubeka lo luhlelo lweMini-Cricket futhi yiziphi izithelo esenizivunile?
BV: Sisanda kugubha iminyaka engu-40 njengoba lwaqalwa ngo-1983. Inhloso yethu wukuthi luqhubeke eminyakeni engu-40 ezayo.
Impumelelo iyabonakala ngoba selukhiqize inqwaba yabadlali asebemele izwe phambilini kanti cishe bonke abadlali abayingxenye yamaqembu esizwe njengamanje baqhamuka kulona.
Abesilisa nabesifazane, badlule kwiMini-Cricket. Siyakuqonda ukuthi akuzona zonke izingane ezizofinyelela lapho kodwa futhi siyaziqhenya ngokuthi kunabanye abaphume kulolu hlelo ababambe iqhaza kwikhilikithi ngezindlela ezehlukene.
XM: Kubaluleke ngani ukufaka umdlalo wekhilikithi ezindaweni ezehlukene kuleli?
BV: Enye yezinjongo zethu kwi-CSA ukuqinisekisa ukuthi bonke abantu bayalithola ithuba. Siyazi ukuthi indaba yezinsiza iyinkinga kuleli.
Akuyona inkinga yekhilikithi kuphela kodwa kuyona yonke imidlalo. Izikole eziningi azinazo izinkundla zemidlalo, yingakho iMini-Cricket ibalulekile ngoba akudingeki inkundla yekhilikithi ukuze kudlalwe.
Kudingeka nje indawo eqondile okuphephile ukudlala kuyo. Njengamanje sinezingane ezingaphezudlwana kuka-126 000 eziyingxenye yalo luhlelo. Uma sibheka emuva eminyakeni engu-40 eyedlule sezingaphezu kuka-2,5 million izingane ezidlule kulona.
XM: Ngaphandle kokushoda kwezinkundla nezinye izinsiza emiphakathini ethile, yiziphi ezinye izinselelo enibhekana nazo?
BV: Okunye okungikhathaza kakhulu wukungabonakali kwabazali bezokweseka izingane zabo, ikakhulukazi uma kukhulunywa ngezingane zethu emalokishini nasezindaweni zasemakhaya.
Siyaziqonda izinselelo imiphakathi ebhekene nazo njengokuntuleka kwemisebenzi. Siyabakhuthaza abazali ukuthi baseke izingane zabo kukho konke ezikwenzayo, babe yingxenye yezinhlelo ezinhle ezenziwayo emphakathini.
XM: Izinqumo ezibhekene nokusakazwa kwekhilikithi kwithelevishini zithathwa kwamanye amahhovisi kodwa kuwuthinta kanjani umsebenzi wakho. Lokhu ngikusho ngoba iningi labantu bakuleli alikwazi ukubuka lo mdlalo ozama ukuwukhulisa ngenxa yokuthi uvame ukusakazwa eziteshini ezikhokhelwayo?
BV: Kwenza umehluko omkhulu. Ngeke sikubalekele lokho ngoba ngike ngakhuluma ngokuthi sifuna bonke abantu bathole amathuba okuba yingxenye yalo mdlalo, akukhathali noma baseMtubatuba noma eWestville.
Ngeshwa kwesinye isikhathi abantu ababoni ngaso linye uma kubanjwa izingxoxo. Engingakuqinisekisa ukuthi sihlale sizama ukuqhamuka namasu okuthi iningi labantu lisondelane nomdlalo wekhilikithi.
Uthando lwalo mdlalo aluqali ngokuthi umuntu athinte ibhola kuphela kodwa lungaqala ezihlalele nomndeni ebuka kwithelevishini. Kubaluleke kakhulu ukuthi abantu bakwazi ukuyibona imidlalo futhi zisazoqhubeka izingxoxo ukuze kugcine kufezekile lokho.