SECUNDA – Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced that 14 new clubs have achieved ‘Blue Flag’ status after the 2021/22 season.
The “Blue Flag Status for Clubs” is a CSA recognition given to clubs for running an effective cricket pipeline structure.
The criteria used to reach this status, are based on administration capabilities, adequate facilities, a minimum number of teams and suitably qualified coaches. Affiliate registered clubs need to complete a Club Quality Index (CQI) to reach their status.
The CQI is an administrative self-evaluation instrument that serves to guide in finding the status of a registered club in driving the CSA Presidential Plan club-cricket aims.
ALSO READ: Louzanne Coetzee commits to Soweto Marathon
A club wishing to find Blue Flag Status must score 90 % on the CQI. To date, 34 clubs around the country have reached this status.
The qualifying clubs will be able to wear the prestigious CSA Blue Flag logo on all cricket-playing apparel and will be awarded a CSA plaque of recognition.
“We recognise the commitment of our clubs towards CSA’s strategic objectives to provide our cricketers with a wide variety of opportunities that offer exposure to showcase their talent,” said Johan Weyers, CSA Senior Cricket Manager.
“The award stands alone proudly seeing their hard work, dedication, and leadership as Blue Flag Clubs within our members. This accomplishment is just one step on their journey to make cricket accessible to all.
ALSO READ: Feestelike atmosfeer heers by Hoërskool Standerton se gholfdag
“The ability to search for solutions to challenge and find innovative ways to improve our club cricket system, is the key to this success,” said Weyers.
“We are proud to achieve this wonderful status. We believe that it recognises the hard work we have put in over the last few years to improve cricket not only in Secunda, but also in the Gert Sibande Region and Mpumalanga as a whole,” said Ignus Koekemoer, chairman of Sasol Cricket Club.
“We are honoured to be the first club in Mpumalanga to achieve this and we hope this opens up the door to other clubs in our province to follow. We are proud to represent a wonderful brand like Sasol and we hope that we made the brand proud with this achievement,” concluded Koekemoer.
Members of the Blue Flag Club are as follows:
University of the Witwatersrand Cricket Club, Wanderers Cricket Club (Central Gauteng Lions), United Brothers Cricket Club (Eastern Province Cricket), KwaThema Cricket Club (Easterns Cricket), Central University of Technology Cricket Club (Free State Cricket), Howick Cricket Club, Lancashire Cricket Club (KZN Inland), Nkowankowa Cricket Club (Limpopo Cricket), Sasol Cricket Club (Mpumalanga Cricket), Ikageng Cricket Club, The Geek Academy Cricket Club (North West Cricket), Yorkshire Cricket Club (Northern Cape Cricket), Rylands Cricket Club, Victoria Cricket Club (Western Province Cricket Association).
