Hollywood actor Forest Whitaker joined civic leaders and prominent sports figures for the official handover of a new basketball court at the Bridgetown Community Centre to the City of Cape Town on Tuesday 21 November.
Hollywood actor Forest Whitaker joined civic leaders and prominent sports figures for the official handover of a new basketball court at the Bridgetown Community Centre to the City of Cape Town on Tuesday 21 November.
The court, on the Cornflower Sports Field, was developed by the Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative (WPDI) in partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA) Africa.
WPDI was founded in 2012 by the Academy-award winning actor, who is also its chief executive officer.
He is a social activist and Unesco Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation.
His initiative aims to promote the values of peace, reconciliation and social development within communities impacted by conflict and violence.
NBA Africa CEO Victor Williams, together with Deputy Mayor and Mayco member for spatial planning and the environment Eddie Andrews, oversaw the handover as the community gathered to take pictures and shoot hoops with fully-kitted young basketball players from the Athlone area.
“We seek to offer basketball as part of our Peace Through Sports Programme,” Whitaker explained to the gathering. “We will soon be developing the community centre here as well.
“We hope we can continue our long-standing relationship with the City of Cape Town as we both share the same goal and passion in improving the lives of our communities.”
The existing community centre in Bridgetown will be bolstered to offer free computer training, psychosocial well-being building, peace building and conflict resolution as well as business and entrepreneurship skills. It will offer everything for free, including ablution facilities that are needed for the basketball court.
To do the new facility justice 20 junior teams from the Athlone and surrounding areas will be recruited and trained. They will also be given access to the computer and life-skills training.
“The people of Cape Town are hungry for the game of basketball, this court is your court,” Williams pointed out. “The NBA helps to grow the game so boys and girls can play the sport and also learn values that will help them transform themselves and society. We are very pleased to bring this game to Bridgetown in Athlone.”
Said Andrews: “I want particularly to address the youth here; if you do not grab hold of such opportunities you will remain statistic in this country.
“A child in sport is a child out of court. You do not have to be a member of any of these gangs or sell substances or rob people. You can choose this sports path and you will reap the rewards in the long term.
“We would like to thank Mr Whitaker, through WPDI, and NBA Africa for partnering with the City on this initiative and we hope this basketball court will go a long way in developing our youth.”
