Durban – Wearing his green and gold has opened many doors for South African fast bowler Lungi Ngidi.
Now the KwaZulu-Natal-born cricketer has signed for international sports management agency Roc Nation, owned by Rap mogul Jay-Z. It already boasts World Cup winners Springbok captain Siya Kolisi and Cheslin Kolbe as clients.
Ngidi, 24, has become the first cricketer to be signed to the Roc Nation Sports family.
Ngidi joins Manchester United footballers Eric Bailly and Marcus Rashford, Manchester City’s Kevin de Bruyne, Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha and Inter Milan’s Romelu Lukaku.
First cricketer to join the #RocFam. The face of South Africa’s fast bowling attack. Welcome to the family @NgidiLungi! 🏏 pic.twitter.com/ggzu7CoFJE
— Roc Nation Sports (@RocNationSports) November 17, 2020
Roc Nation Sports will manage all areas of Ngidi’s career, including his on-field contract, effective immediately.
President of Roc Nation Sports International Michael Yormark said: “Lungi is a wonderful, talented, young man. He has the ability and the drive to be the best fast bowler in the world.
"We are thrilled to be on this journey with him, to achieve all of his goals and objectives on-and-off the field. His compassion, and his dedication to philanthropic work, aligns perfectly with our company values and spirit.
"South Africa is a very important market to Roc Nation and, having spent a lot of time on the continent over the last 12-months, our desire to support development of talent and offer a Global platform for the stories of these incredible athletes to be told has grown tenfold.
"The people of South Africa have welcomed us with open arms and, as a company, we will continue to support the country in whatever way we can.”
On his Twitter account, Ngidi said he was proud to be the first cricketer to join the company and was excited for this new chapter.
In a video with Kolisi and Kolbe on the Roc Nation Sports Twitter page, Ngidi told the pair he was part of the family and really excited.
“I’m really excited to join the family, it’s a dream come true for me and I heard a bit of doubt between you guys of me being the favourite. So I’m just going to let you know that I’m the first and only cricketer to sign with Roc Nation,” said Ngidi.
🇿🇦 @SiyaKolisi_Bear & @Cheslin_Kolbe11 watch out, there’s a new man in town… @NgidiLungi 👀 pic.twitter.com/W2C80tDd50
— Roc Nation Sports (@RocNationSports) November 17, 2020
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