Sport is food for the soul

Johan Ferreira is a born and bred Newcastillian who has accomplished great things in the sport industry, most people can only dream of.

The 37-year-old and his brother, Quintin Ferreira, who is a cricket legend himself, were raised in a home where their father was a professional wrestler, but chose to venture into the world of cricket instead.

“My brother and I would spend our school holidays cutting our lawn into a cricket pitch and playing test games just about every day,” said Johan.

His love for sport was ignited in primary school. He loved being on the field, whether playing cricket or rugby. In high school, he was captain of the under 15 cricket team, and in matric he captained the first cricket team. After he matriculated from Ferrum High School in 1996, Johan went on to play cricket for the Ngagane Cricket Club.

Johan said for a brief while he played for Sixties, an indoor cricket club. This team team challenged the Guinness Book of Records by playing a cricket match for 60 hours non-stop, played 46 matches and won them all.

“We started the first match the Thursday at 12 pm and played the last match the Saturday night 12 am. I couldn’t stand after that and I think I probably slept for three days thereafter,” he laughed.

Cricket was very dear to him and he would play any form of cricket every day of the week, as long as it meant he could be on the field.

Rugby also appeals to Johan, and although he doesn’t regard himself as a good player, he was blessed in other ways to be a part of the sport. He was fortunate enough to referee big rugby matches that took him abroad to Manchester United in England.

He also had the privilege of being voted referee of the year, three years in a row. According to Johan, his breakthrough came in 2007, when Super Sport appointed him as a journalist for Super Sport Blitz. He has been a proud sports journalist for nine years.

Another highlight in Johan’s career was when he was selected to be a field commentator at the Fifa World Cup 2010, where he had the opportunity to travel with both the South African and Spanish teams.

“I met some of the greatest sportsmen like Lionel Messi, Fernando Torres and Pepe Reinè. That was something truly special. I can honestly say I have had a tremendous career in such a short amount of time,” he elaborated.

Aside from his dream job at Super Sport, Johan juggles three more jobs. He is a financial broker, an agent for an international animal health company and a sports presenter for a radio station in Cape Town, where he does four radio airings daily via telephone.

Johan’s busy career means he travels a lot, making the balance between work and family a difficult task. However, the mere fact that his family supports him, makes it a little bit easier.

“My wife has spent many evenings next to the field, but she has supported me every step of the way as I have chased my dreams.” Johan met his wife, Karen, at the Newcastle Winter Festival and they later got engaged in Potchefstroom.

He married the love of his life in December, 2005. The couple have two daughters, Lianè and Milan.

“I am blessed with my children, they are my contribution to society,” he said with a laugh.

Johan thinks the greatest aspect of sport for him, is that it can change every day, but still has the power to unite a nation. Most importantly he said, sport taught him strong life values.

“I am extremely proud of my accomplishments and I wouldn’t have things any other way. Throughout my career I have had to sacrifice a lot to get to where I am today, so I do not regret any part of it. I would also advise people to never give up on their dreams,” he concluded.