Former South African cricketer Malibongwe Maketa has seen his long-held dream of cricket nets for Walmer Township youth brought to life, thanks to sponsorship from Boardwalk Hotel and Casino.

The Gqeberha resident is the head coach of the National Cricket Academy and the South African Under 19 team, and is passionate about the game of cricket and uplifting his community. “I believe it’s my duty as a South African citizen to play my part in improving my community, and I noticed that there were no cricket nets available for the youth of Walmer Township to practice and build their skills.”

Maketa has been working on getting a cricketing facility built for three years, but it was the major sponsorship from Boardwalk earlier this year which finally got the project underway. Contributions from Boardwalk Mall, PPC Cement and Kelston Motors also helped to see the nets and artificial pitch open to the community on October 28.

Maketa hopes the cricket nets will create a safe and fun environment for the youth of Walmer Township while growing participation in the sport in Walmer Township. “We have created an opportunity for young people to participate in exercise and organised team sports, and provided potential cricket players in Walmer Township with an aspirational pathway for a professional cricket career. I would like this to grow into a hub supported by Cricket South Africa to create a pipeline of players for Eastern Province Cricket.”

With cricket season well underway, Maketa is hoping to capitalise on Cricket World Cup fever to get momentum going at the new facility. “We will be attracting learners from three schools in the Walmer Township, looking at more than 200 boys, from mini cricket for under eights to elites of under 18s.”

“This project is very close to my heart, as a passionate cricket coach who has gained so much from this beautiful game. I would like to thank all our sponsors for helping me to make this facility a reality. The building of these nets will not only provide a safe environment but also a place for the youth to build lifelong friendships,” Maketa said. Walmer Township resident Maziz’onke Ngwendu will volunteer his time to coach the youngsters.

“Sun International has a group-wide focus on supporting education, as we believe our youth are our country’s future, so this project was the perfect fit for Boardwalk to get involved,” said Boardwalk Hotel and Casino General Manager Tati Tsunke. “We hope the cricket nets provide hours of fun and that some future Protea stars will be made.”

Images by: Leon Hugo