Mother-Child healthcare is his ambition. Sports is his passion and in this lifetime, Dr Prem Naicker has achieved both.
On 28 November 2015, Dr Naicker was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Sports Veterans Association in Pietermartizburg.
He was acknowledged for his dedicated contribution to the promotion of sports in the Northern KwaZulu-Natal region.
“I have achieved what I set out to do. I raised the profile of cricket as an administrator in KwaZulu-Natal Inland and KwaZulu-Natal Cricket Unions. I would like to see my efforts grow from strength to strength,” said Dr Naicker.
Going down memory lane, Dr Naickers’s sporting career began in primary school, continued onto high school, university and adulthood.
Despite his intense studies and drive to achieve his specialist degree, he never lost his passion for sport.
He was privileged to play in club cricket in Dublin, Ireland, while studying.
Dr Naicker has been an outstanding cricketer for over 40 years. He played cricket at many levels, including club and inter-provincial cricket and represented Northern Natal.
Dr Naicker was a tremendous competitor and an extremely brave cricketer at Essex Cricket Club in Newcastle. He distinguished himself as the vice-captain of Northern Natal. He expressed a desire to use his talents as an administrator to restore pride in the sports struggle.
On 30 July 2004, the KZN Cricket Union was officially launched in Pietermaritzburg. Dr Naicker was elected as vice-president of the union. His aim was to promote cricket, and this formation of the new union would create many opportunities for Inland cricketers to compete with the best in the province, and eventually, nationally.
Dr Naicker knew that cricket awarness had to start at the very bottom and grow. He introduced Mini Cricket and Cricket Coach Training in primary schools, hoping to encourage budding cricketers to eventually emerge as our future cricket heroes. The atmosphere and enthusiasm of the mini cricket festivals were very encouraging and motivating and very much alive until now.
Besides cricket, Dr Naicker is a keen soccer player and golfer, having captured many awards. He competed in the National BMW Golf Competition at Sun City.
Family and friends congratulate Dr Prem Naicker on this achievement and wish him well in his future endeavours.
