JP pads up, goes to bat for Mitchells Plain

Cape Town-150129-Proteas cricketer JP Duminy at the launch of his cricket academy, "JP21" at Spine Road High School. Picture Jeffrey Abrahams

Cape Town-150129-Proteas cricketer JP Duminy at the launch of his cricket academy, "JP21" at Spine Road High School. Picture Jeffrey Abrahams

Published Jan 30, 2015

Share

Zaahier Adams

JP DUMINY may be preparing to help the Proteas win a first World Cup, but yesterday he went out to bat for a much bigger cause.

The South African cricket star launched the “JP21 Project” at Spine Road High School, an initiative that is aimed at providing opportunities for underprivileged children in the wider Mitchells Plain area.

The classy left-hand batsman, who hails from nearby Strandfontein and attended Fairview Primary School in Grassy Park and Plumstead High School, before he shot to stardom with the Cape Cobras and Proteas, is determined to make a difference in the community and help ensure that cricket flourishes in an area that serves more than 80 primary and high schools.

“I am from this area and I am very passionate about providing opportunities for learners in both cricket and life. There was a need to uplift young people and provide them with something to be excited about. I believe the JP21 project will provide that,” Duminy said yesterday.

“I have been involved with many projects before, but only as ‘the face’ of it. This is different. Due to my time constraints with the national team I can’t be physically involved in the coaching aspect, but I have hand-picked a group of people who I trust that will report back to me about the progress that is made. My wish… sorry… target, is that we will develop a Protea right here in Mitchells Plain.”

Duminy’s plan is not only to up-skill youngsters, but also empower the teachers at the various primary and high schools involved in the projects. Twenty teachers from the Mitchells Plain region have already undertaken a Level 1 coaching course under the auspices of the Western Province Cricket Association at Newlands.

“JP is one of our own that has made good. He basically grew up in front of all us. We are immensely proud of what he achieved. So, when he came and approached us with the idea of the JP21 Project, we had no hesitation in supporting him,” Cape Cobras chief executive Nabiel Dien said.

“We are in partnership with him and will provide him with all the support in terms of coaching courses, fixtures, etc and we wish him all the best. The Mitchells Plain area is such a vast region, but only three provincial cricketers have come from here in the last 20 years, Mulligan George, Eugene Moleon and JP. I have a commitment from JP that we will get at least two scholars from this initiative into the Newlands Cricket School, so I believe it will be less than five years for a national player to come from Mitchells Plain.”

Spine Road High principal Riyaad Najaar, whose school is one of the few institutions that offers sport – 16 codes – and celebrated a 100 percent matric pass rate last year, was similarly enthusiastic about the JP21 Project.

“This is tremendous for not only cricket, but social upliftment in the poorer communities,” said Najaar, who played flank for the former South African Rugby Union.

Related Topics: