Wits coach Bongani Ntini named CGL Coach of the Year
- Tshepiso Mametela
Less than a season in as the new first team head coach at Wits Cricket and Bongani Ntini has already started raking in the high plaudits. This as he was named the 2019/20 Central Gauteng Lions (CGL) Coach of the Year following the cricket governing body’s annual awards presentation, which was this year hosted virtually on 27 May, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The award found its way into Ntini’s trophy cabinet for his work in guiding the Cricket South Africa (CSA) Focus School, Queens High – a co-ed school based in Johannesburg – towards qualification in the prestigious CSA Schools T20 Week.
Expecting nothing less than gold from his players and in his exploits as a coach, Ntini waxed lyrical over his latest accomplishment and the expectations which accompanied it. “I did expect the award after all the hard work that has been put in over the last ten years [or so],” Ntini admitted.
“I’m quite excited and honoured to be recognised, not only for the 2019/20 season, but for all of the 10 years in which I’ve been coaching within the structures at CGL.” As it is normally the case when one discovers they are a prize winner, finding words to describe the feeling can escape in the moment, but in Ntini’s case, the converse applied.
“It’s quite exciting to have seen my name up there,” said the Zimbabwe-born coach. “At the same time, it came up as a motivation to sort of start over, refocus and get more energised. To be noticed for all the work I’ve been putting in came as [just the right boost] ahead of the upcoming season.”
Cricket sports officer at Wits Sport, Sharmin Naidoo, said his organisation went into immediate celebration at the unveiling of its coach as a CGL award-taker on the night. “It’s obviously a great honour for any institution or organisation when one of their own reaches new heights,” said Naidoo. “We’re very excited for Bongani, who has been an inspiration to our cricketers and our cricket programme – where he’s injected a whole bunch of enthusiasm and energy.”
One such cricketer inspired by Ntini is Keagan Williams, who spoke highly of the newly-crowned CGL recipient. Williams said his coach received the recognition he deserves and that he waits with eager anticipation to once again be at the receiving end of some good-natured advice from him on his game. “I think coach Bongani rightly deserves this award as seen in the amount of time and effort [he] is constantly putting in.
“Despite working so hard with the Wits Cricket Club, he still makes time to assist other school and sports teams,” Williams added. “Coach Bongani is very committed and determined and this influenced me as a Wits cricketer because he is always pushing me to go farther than I believe I can go, which makes me hungrier to strive for more.
“Once this lockdown ends, I hope to carry on with the coach just where we ended, which was speaking to him regularly on advice on my game, seeing him for extra sessions to help me improve and listening closely when he speaks.