Proteas fast-bowler Makhaya Ntini is for the second consecutive year South Africa’s most popular sports personality among adults (those older than 18 years), according to the 2006 BMI Adult Sporttrack.
He was voted ahead of soccer players Lucas Radebe, Benny McCarthy, Siyabonga Nomvete and Doctor Khumalo.
Ntini was also recently voted the most popular sports personality among juniors (2006 BMI Junior Sporttrack), and is the first non-soccer player to hold this position in both the adult and junior categories.
Shaun Pollock moves up from 11th position in 2005 to eighth position overall in the 2006 adult survey. He is once again the only sports personality to be voted in the top 10 across all race groups, which he also achieved in the 2006 junior survey.
Jacques Kallis is in 13th place overall in the adult survey.
Cricket remains the second-most-popular sport among both adults and juniors, with a combined spectator base of 11,3-million, while soccer continues to hold the top position, with rugby and athletics in third and fourth places respectively.
Cricket South Africa’s CEO, Gerald Majola, paid tribute to the Proteas’ mention in the latest BMI Sporttrack Report, which is produced once a year, for both the adult and junior markets.
Majola said in a statement: ”Makhaya is a role model to the youth of South Africa as well as a wonderful advertisement for the sport around the world. The popularity of a player is an indication of the popularity of the sport.
”The fact that a cricketer has been acknowledged through research as the most popular sports person in the country is a massive achievement, especially taking into consideration that there are other codes of sport that have historically dominated.
”This is the first time that a cricketer holds top spot in both adult and junior categories, a reflection that cricket is becoming a truly national sport.” — Sapa