JJ Smit walked away with the top awards, but cricket was the big winner at a glittering Cricket Namibia Awards ceremony on Saturday night.
A wide range of role players, from junior and female players to officials, administrators, coaches and other support staff were honoured after an extraordinary year for Namibian cricket, likened by Cricket Namibia president Rudi van Vuuren to a riveting Netflix series.
“Our men’s team’s performance at the T20 World Cup was like a Netflix series – they showed passion, glory and guts and it was captivating throughout. Gerhard Erasmus played with a broken finger, but his personal journey became the journey of the team. I want to congratulate coach Pierre de Bruyn and his mantra that they are playing for 2,5 million people here in Namibia. Who will ever forget that Ruben Trumpelmann over when he got three wickets – it will be discussed for years to come,” he said.
“2021 was one of the most incredible years for Namibian cricket, but let’s now look forward to the next Netflix series in 2022,” he added.
In her keynote speech, minister of sport, Agnes Tjongarero congratulated Cricket Namibia on its successful development programme.
“Cricket Namibia’s mini cricket programme has been one of the leading cricket development programmes among the 92 associate member countries in the world. Your coaches served over 60 000 Namibian children in 12 regions and 22 towns, which led to the programme being nominated for the development programme of the year at the national sport awards last year,” she said.
“Allow me to congratulate Cricket Namibia for expanding women and girls cricket. I’m reliably informed that they have now established a girls only league with 11 teams playing in the under 19 category and eight teams in the under 13 category. It is indeed inspiring to see the growth of girls cricket in our country and we are certain that we will soon have a large pool of girls that could support the Namibian women’s team,” she added.
Tjongarero had a special word of praise for the Namibian Eagles.
“Our national men’s team, the Eagles, won Namibian hearts and even those of people all over the world. You gave world class performances and maintained a winning culture which led to your participation in the T20 World Cup and progression to the Super 12 phase. You have made the land of the brave proud at every game you played and it is indeed historic and a milestone for the Namibian nation – the team now holds the Namibian record of the most victories at a World Cup,” she said.
“There is so much to be proud of – qualifying for the Super 12 phase has enabled the team to automatically qualify for the 2022 T20 World Cup to be hosted in Australia. Keep flying the Namibian flag high, Eagles, we wish you the best for this year’s T20 World Cup,” she added.
Smit won a total of four awards after a great season during which he established himself as one of the world’s top players, while he is currently ranked eighth on the ICC T20 top all-rounders list.
He won the Eagles Player of the Year, the Eagles Players’ Player of the Year; the Eagles 50-over Player of the Year; and the Eagles T20 Player of the Year awards.
Michael van Lingen won the Most Improved Eagles Player award; Eagles coach Pierre de Bruyn won the Coach of the Year award; and the Eagles won the Sport of Cricket award for their outstanding performances throughout 2021.
David Wiese won the T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament as well as best batter awards, while Jan Frylinck won the T20 World Cup fielder as well as bowler awards.
Kayleen Green won the Capricorn Eagles Player of the Year award, Victoria Hamunyela won both the Capricorn Eagles Bowler and Players Player of the Year award; and Sune Wittmann won the Capricorn Eagles Batter of the Year award.
Fortune Matawu won the National Youth Coach of the Year award; Ramon Wilmot won the ICC u19 Cricket World Cup Africa Qualifier Player of the Tournament award, and Henry van Wyk won the CSA National u16 Cricket Week Player of the Tournament award.
There were numerous other awards, but amongst all the celebrations there was also a poignant moment when Cricket Namibia vice president Polly Negongo handed over a gift to Natasha Thakur, the widow of former national coach Dee Thakur, who died of Covid 19 last year.
“To the man who introduced me to the game of cricket, who became a father, brother and friend – words cannot express the gratitude I feel for what he has done for me. I am today because of him. There is no award big enough to award him for what he’s done for every cricketer in Namibia. His selflessness and willingness to give back has touched many. His legacy will surely live on forever,” Negongo said.
