Awarded the Young Athlete of the Year award at the North West Sports Awards at Sun City on Saturday, 25 February, Nthabiseng Nini was 12 years old when she became interested in cricket.
Born and bred in Ikageng, the North West Dragons’ star was raised in a middle-class family by her late grandmother. “It all started in 2017 when I just decided to accompany a friend to cricket practice because I did not know much about the sport,” she explained.
While Nthabiseng was watching them practise, she grew an almost instant love for the sport and told herself it seemed like an interesting and fun sport. At first, she did not think much of it, but the more she got to learn and play, the more interested she got in pursuing it as a career one day. As her interest grew, she gravitated towards famous cricketer Masabata Maria Klaas and looked up to her for inspiration. “She’s one of the best professional players,” Nthabiseng said.
“I always tell myself that I strive to be more like her when I get older.” One thing Nthabiseng genuinely enjoys about the sport is being able to travel around the world, meet new people and learn a lot from them. However, despite the perks, the game also tends to have its challenges.
Nthabiseng remembers her most challenging experience since playing cricket to be in 2021. “I played against tough opponents. I was not confident that I would perform well, but I did great and was recognised as one of the best wicket-takers throughout the tournament,” she said.
“Things tend to get slightly tough on some days when my school work piles up, and I am forced to take time away from cricket and focus on my books,” she admitted. But she added that she often leans on her family and school for support. Nthabiseng encourages every aspiring female cricketer to “work hard each day, because hard work pays off, and not to fear making mistakes.”
Currently selected to play for SA Women’s u.19 World Cup Squad, Nthabiseng says she will always aim for greater heights. “I will continue to work much harder, never fear failure and hopefully, be called up to the SA Emerging Squad,” said this talented youngster with big dreams.
