September was fi¬lled with pride and elation as Mahikeng raised Caleb Seleka (20), was selected to play for the Joburg Super Kings. The team will be competing in the new SA 20 Tournament which includes many great International and South African players such as Faf du Plessis, Jos Butler and Rashid Khan.
South Africa’s next generation of Rabadas, Bavumas and Duminys is well on its way if the recent accolades by Caleb Seleka are anything to go by. The youngsters in the province will have a star worth emulating. As the eldest of two siblings, his parents identified his potential at a young age and they have made countless sacri¬fices to make his dreams as a professional athlete come true. “At times they believed more in me than I did in myself”, says Seleka. He has an immense amount of gratitude for them.
Caleb started playing cricket at the age of 5. He attended Sol Plaatje Primary School and completed High School at Potchefstroom Gymnasium, both of which were instrumental in moulding this young rising star. He is currently in his second year at the NWU Potchefstroom Campus, where he hopes to attain a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Movement Science and Sports Coaching, all while pursuing his cricketing dreams. He admits that balancing academics, sports and a social life is challenging at times.
Caleb speaks of his passion for the sport and believes that he inherited some of his father’s talent who was also an exceptional cricketer in his day. Seleka has represented the North West Province in all age groups and was selected to represent SA in the U14 Junior Indoor Cricket World Cup in Australia, in 2015. He made his ¬rst professional appearance in 2021 for the North West Dragons in the Cricket SA T20 Knockout Challenge. Caleb also participated in the TAP (Talent Acceleration Program) hosted by Cricket SA in 2021 and in 2022 was selected as a travelling reserve for the U19 World Cup in the West Indies. His advice to young aspiring sportsmen and sportswomen is to prepare for hours of hard work, dedication and sacri¬ce. Caleb dreams of representing South Africa as the world’s best cricketer and the proud community of Mahikeng will be following his journey closely.
Well done Caleb!
