02 December 2007
Makhaya Ntini has been elected as the country’s most popular sportsperson for the third successive year. He is also playing a major part in the growth that cricket is experiencing among the public.
“This was one of the key findings to come out of the 2007 BMI Adult Sporttrack survey that was released this week. This is an annual independent survey among spectators over the age of 18 years,” according to Cricket South Africa’s Michael Owen-Smith.
Ntini also been selected as the most popular sportsperson in the junior survey (13 and 18 year), for the second consecutive year, released last month.
“It is most gratifying to see that we are progressing well on the road to make cricket a truly national sport. I would like to thank all cricket enthusiasts for their on going support,” says Cricket South Africa CEO Gerald Majola.
Ntini remains the only non-soccer player to have achieved the top ranking in both age groups.
“It means a lot to me to get this level of support from the public. I have always tried to treat the fans the same way I treat members of my own family and it is just as important to have their support as it is to go there and take wickets for my country,” says Ntini.
Herschelle Gibbs, Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis are other members of the Protea’s team who have top 20 rankings among the adult spectator audience. Shaun Pollock has now moved up to fourth place on the list.
Picture: www.news.bbc.co.uk
No comments:
Post a Comment