POLOKWANE – The Limpopo Impala Cricket (LIC) coach Isaac Senetla says he is grateful to have won the Cricket South Africa (CSA) Rural Team Coach of the Year award as it highlighted his biggest achievement in his cricketing career so far.

Senatla was honoured at the recent LIC Awards with a special award to acknowledge his achievement.

Senetla was at the helm of CSA’s Inland Rural team during their Rural Inland week in Bethlehem from February 7 to 11 before taking on the Cup in April.

“I am grateful to have won the award. Being part of the Inland team was the biggest achievement for me. I didn’t expect it. I was focusing on the local team and I didn’t know the guys at the top were looking. I am expecting full commitment from all the players and I am not going to baby sit anyone. I am expecting all the players to play their hearts out. I am more than ready for the challenge and I am itching to get on the field of play,” he told the Polokwane Observer.

Senatla dedicated the award to his family who he said has supported his cricket career from day one. “I dedicate this to my brother Jack Senetla, my mother Mapula Senetla and my wife Kgaugelo Noko. They believed in me and I want to thank them for their support. I want to continue making them proud.”

During the 2022/23 provincial cricket season, the 35-year-old did well in his stint as the u/16 girls provincial coach and helped them win crucial matches at the CSA National Week in Pietermaritzburg.

Some of his achievements include being in the CSA Colts team in 2014 and being part of the LIC Senior mens provincial team from 2018 to 2019.

In October last year he was selected by CSA to be part of the Talent Acceleration Programme at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria.

In his spare time Senatla umpires local cricket and schools matches in Polokwane and is also a head coach of Seshego Cricket Club.