Cricket Namibia shines again 

Cricket Namibia once again received international recognition after the International Cricket Council announced yesterday that it had won three international awards.

CN announced in a statement yesterday that it had won the ICC Development Initiative of the Year, the ICC Associate Member Men’s Performance of the Year, and the Cricket 4 Good Social Impact Initiative of the Year.

This follows on last year’s achievements when it also won three ICC awards, namely the ICC Development Initiative of the Year, the ICC Associate Member Men’s Performance of the Year, and the Africa Women’s Performance of the Year. 

According to CN’s statement, its Ashburton Mini Cricket development program, established in 2009, has played a pivotal role in creating awareness of cricket among all communities. The program has witnessed tremendous growth, reaching more than 100 000 children in all 14 regions of Namibia, during 2022. 

The initiative has successfully introduced cricket to schools in less advantaged communities and fostered inclusivity within the sport. Through festivals and modified matches, Cricket Namibia has nurtured talented youngsters, some of whom have gone on to represent senior national teams.

Jona Ambuga, who heads the development program welcomed the news with pride.

“Winning this shows that we are doing what we promised to do, which is to take cricket to the Namibian child. Our success is based on the efforts of the teachers, development coaches, and the sponsors Asburton (through the FNB Foundation),” he said.

Namibia’s national men’s team, the Richelieu Eagles won the ICC Associate Member Men’s Performance of the Year after some outstanding performances over the past year. 

These included series wins against Uganda, Jersey, Hong Kong, and USA, as well as their first ever series win against a full-member nation, Zimbabwe. They also qualified for their second successive T20 World Cup where they stunned another full member nation, aswellasformer T20 world champions, Sri Lanka, with a 55-run victory. 

Richelieu Eagles captain Gerhard Erasmus said it was fairytale stuff. 

“It really is a fairytale story for Namibian cricket to have beaten the previous T20 World Champions. Yes, it was the perfect performance on the day. Built on a strong culture and a group of individuals consistently aspiring to be better,” the captain noted.

CN also won the Cricket 4 Good Social Impact Initiative of the Year, for their efforts in fighting cancer in Namibia. 

As part of this initiative, Cricket Namibia hosted the #Pledge4Pink campaign, aimed at supporting the Cancer Association of Namibia. Through a series of events and activities, Cricket Namibia raised awareness and funds for the cancer community. The campaign gathered significant support from corporate entities and individuals, resulting in a substantial donation to assist cancer patients.

CN president Dr Rudie van Vuuren, was more than pleased with the announcement. 

“When I received the message from the ICC that for the second consecutive year, we will be receiving three awards at the ICC conference, I was totally stunned. I want to thank my fellow board members for the hard work and dedication behind the scenes. I want to thank and recognise our CEO, Johan Muller and his team, for the hard work they have put in, and I also want to thank and recognise our head coach of the senior men’s team, Pierre de Bruyn. It is truly amazing when you receive these awards in front of 108 member countries and be recognised by the ICC,” he said.