SA’s youngest cricket umpire 'proud' of himself
While South Africa continues to celebrates the Proteas' winning the ICC World Test Championship, it is also now home to the world's youngest cricket umpire.
Fourteen-year-old Renier Janse van Rensburg was recognised by the WP Cricket Umpires Association in Constantia, Cape Town, in January.
The Guinness Book of World Records holder said he started playing cricket at just five years old.
“I am very proud of myself, when I first got this I was shocked. This means I have a shot at a better future, and I will get more opportunities to get better in my umpiring,” said Janse van Rensburg, who has passed Cricket South Africa's exams for umpiring.
He added that his mother encouraged him to go ahead with umpiring after they searched for the youngest umpire, who was a 15-year-old Australian.
“So we went to the website and applied and I was approved after a long time.”
His mother, Ciska Keyser, says she always knew that her son would be successful in cricket, but never imagined breaking a world record.
“I am very proud of him, my heart is full. It makes me happy that my son followed his dreams. It felt good to receive an email saying the new record holder is him," said Keyser.
“I knew cricket was his passion since five. I knew cricket was going to be big in his life but not this.”
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