Sunrisers Eastern Cape duo inspires young cricketers at Greenwood Primary School.
- Dec 1
- 3 min read
One of our PR & Comms Specialist, Lunathi Fudu, attended the SA20 Schools Tour engagement held at Greenwood Primary School in Gqeberha on 27 November 2025. The event drew several local media houses and created a lively atmosphere of excitement and curiosity among learners. Lunathi had the chance to speak with the youngest duo of the Sunrisers Eastern Cape, CJ King and Patrick Kruger, who shared heartfelt reflections on why introducing structured sport at primary school level is essential for South Africa’s sporting future.
Betway SA20 continues to drive national conversations about the importance of developing competitive sports programmes in primary schools. Through this initiative, they aim to inspire a new generation of young athletes, a message that resonated strongly during the morning’s engagement.
Patrick Kruger spoke candidly about his own late start in competitive cricket, offering insight into why early exposure matters. “If you expose younger kids to competitive cricket early, it really helps them growing up,” he said. “I only started playing competitively in high school, and it delays your progress. You wish you had started earlier. Getting proper coaching and playing against good players from a young age makes a huge difference.”
For CJ, primary school sport serves as the emotional starting point, the place where a child discovers their passion. “That’s where everyone’s love for the game starts,” he explained. “You learn more in high school, but if you fall in love with the game in primary school, it sets you up for a strong high school career. Once that connection starts early, it pushes you forward.”
When asked about discipline, teamwork and character development, both players agreed that sport teaches lessons that extend far beyond the field.
CJ highlighted the value of learning to work with others, “For any young kid, being in a team environment teaches you how to work with different people. Playing in a team from a young age builds character, you learn responsibility, patience, teamwork. It all starts early.”
Patrick added that early participation shapes professionalism and personal conduct, “Being in a team environment from a young age teaches you how to carry yourself. You watch how others train and prepare, and you want to learn from that. It motivates you. Even having good facilities, proper nets, enough balls, lots of players, inspires young kids to show up and work hard.”
He went on to say that early exposure helps children dream bigger, “Kids start to see what’s possible. They start imagining themselves one day playing in the SA20. That kind of motivation at a young age is powerful.”
The morning was further elevated by the presence of South African cricket legend Makhaya Ntini, who expressed his excitement for the upcoming SA20 tournament. “I am excited the tournament is just 30 days away,” Ntini shared. “But most importantly, we are here today for ground development, nurturing future stars. These kids, if they get enough exposure, can become the next cricket superstars from the Eastern Cape.”
The engagement was led by Anele Mdoda, the 20th Player for Sunrisers Eastern Cape, who will serve as the official connector between fans and the Betway SA20 Season 4 tournament for cricket lovers across the Eastern Cape.
In the end, CJ and Patrick’s message was clear, bringing structured sporting programmes into primary schools is not just about identifying talent, it builds confidence, discipline, teamwork and the belief that greatness begins early. For the duo, starting young isn’t simply beneficial, it is foundational.
For more, visit: Switch Schools SA20
Comments