Anele Yoli, a Grade 12 learner at Ntsika Secondary School, is not the typical Sports Hero with a string of outstanding sporting achievements under the belt, nor has he shown remarkable progress in any particular sport. However, to the staff and learners of Ntsika he is a hero.
Yoli, better known as Jolly Yoli, loves soccer and is a dedicated left-back defender for the senior Ntsika team and for Jacaranda Aces, a local football club. He plays a strong, disciplined game, but it is his commitment to assisting in creating a sporting environment for others that has earned him the accolades at the school. Ntsika’s Head of Sport, Fundisile Mgoqi, points out, “Whenever we have a sports event, Anele is the first learner I call upon for assistance. He is a down-to-earth, trustworthy person who will give of his very best, often behind the scenes.”
For two years running, Yoli was also in charge of the bicycle programme at Ntsika. The bicycles were donated by Rotary and are used by learners for academic purposes, e.g. attending Ikamva tutoring at Nombulelo. The programme includes training learners in the basics, from road safety rules to learning to cycle. Yoli and his team ably administered the programme and did basic maintenance with much creativity and few tools.
Yoli is Ntsika’s Sport Hero, because he embodies what sport should be about: discipline, commitment, and above all, enabling not only oneself, but also others, to shine.
Photo: Supplied
