DA congratulates Gift Ngoepe on ground-breaking debut in Major League Baseball

The DA congratulates Gift Ngoepe for becoming the first player from the African continent to make his debut in a Major League Baseball game in the United States of America, which took place on Wednesday.

The 27-year-old Ngoepe, from Polokwane, marked the occasion by getting a single for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The DA is proud to see a rising star of Ngoepe’s calibre break barriers to become the first African-born player in a Major League baseball game. He has done our nation proud.

We encourage other aspirant sports players to use Ngoepe’s achievement as an inspiration for them to reach the highest levels of success.

Ngoepe was rated by Baseball America as the “Best Defensive Infielder” in the Pirates minor league each of the last five seasons (2013-2017), and his graduation into the Major League is moment to celebrate for all of South Africa and indeed our continent.

DA supports the grassroots development of sports in South Africa and encourages more young people to pursue the sporting codes of their choice. Government must take the inspiration of Gift Ngoepe to do more for local sporting development in our communities.

Statement issued by Tsepo Mhlongo MP, DA Shadow Minister of Sport and Recreation, 28 April 2017