On Thursday last week, Lord’s Taverners South Africa, together with Sporting Chance, an organisation that FLM supports, hosted the inaugural Table Cricket Festival at Newlands Stadium in Cape Town. Table Cricket, an adapted version of the game played on a table tennis table, is specifically designed to enhance inclusivity and give people with a disability the chance to play and compete in the sport we all love. Alongside the enjoyment of playing the game and competing, Table Cricket has been shown to develop teamwork and social skills among players as well as improve coordination and cognitive skills.
Learners from five special needs schools across Cape Town, including Eros School, St Joseph’s RC Special School, Filia School, Vista Nova, and St Joseph’s Marist College, participated in the momentous occasion. The schools cater to learners with a range of disabilities from Cerebral Palsy and Down’s Syndrome to Limb Girdle Muscle Dystrophy and various other intellectual and physical challenges. The Table Cricket Festival provides these learners with an ideal opportunity to play competitively while sharing in the joy, excitement, fun and camaraderie that is the game of Table Cricket.
Keeping the learners fueled throughout the day, FLM provided fresh fruit, popcorn, and snacks for everyone. Joining in on a fun-filled day, FLM’s Kate Marais says, “As a child and community-centric business, and a long-standing partner of Sporting Chance, we take immense pride in contributing to their on-going journey of bringing the joy of sport to young children with different abilities”.
