- Senge led Strathmore to winning their first ever Women’s Hockey League title
- They won the crown unbeaten
- Senge beat Butali’s Zack Aura and Kenya Pipeline’s Paul Gitau
Strathmore Scorpions head coach Meshack Senge has been named the Startimes /Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK) coach of the month for January after his splendid run with the girls.
The tactician led the Scorpions to their first ever national women’s league title, and did so in emphatic fashion as they went through the season unbeaten.
Strathmore ended the dominance by Blazers, preciously Telkom Kenya, who had been the force to reckon with in women’s hockey in Kenya for years.
Senge, a former Kenya international men’s hockey player, becomes the third Coach to win the coveted award after trailblazing Dennis Mwanja of the Kenya Lioness Rugby team and National Cereals men’s handball tactician Brian Mathews in November and December respectively.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet, I mean, winning the title with the team for the first time since I took over in 2009 is an amazing feeling, such a great feeling I must admit. The unprecedented victory coupled with this StarTimes award, will go a long way towards elevating our confidence levels for future achievements,” said the coach.
Wasn’t expecting the award
Coach Meshack Senge celebrates with his players
He added; “I honestly wasn’t expecting this. It is a pleasant surprise. But this award is not just for me. It is for the girls and my fellow members of the backroom staff who put in the hard work to see that we win the title.”
With the award, Senge walked home with Sh100,000 prize money, a 55-inch StarTimes Smart television set and a glittering trophy engraved with his name.
StarTimes Kenya Marketing Manager Tamima Ibrahim heaped praise on the coach for his resilience over the years while also acknowledging Strathmore’s fairy tale feat.
“Triumph by the Scorpions team is out of pure hard work and patience; they deserve to bask in the glory. As a brand, we appreciate that behind every successful sports team, there is a coach at the helm of it all. In collaboration with SJAK, we’ve decided to focus on them by recognizing and rewarding their contribution. We are confident this award will continue to motivate coaches in various sporting disciplines thereby improving team performances in general,” noted Tamima.
Mike Okinyi, chairman of the award committee and Secretary of SJAK, on his part thanked StaTimes Kenya for their continued support towards development of sports in the country.
Coaches are heroes
Coach Meshack Senge poses with his award
“Coaches are truly the unsung heroes of sport given that most of the credit for success goes to players. As much as SJAK rewards players in our other award, we acknowledge the coaches’ input, hence our third winner (Senge) since inception of the award in November last year.”
Meanwhile, Senge says the award will be the motivation the team needs to ensure they win the title back to back and says he believes the team has that ability.
“The girls have seen that when you work hard, there is a reward. Now, we are more motivated to work harder. We played through the season lacking a it of experience but now, we are better off. The girls are more exposed and in the new season, we want to keep the same momentum,” noted the coach.
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