Age-old rivals Laibons, Old Cambrians clash at Karen

It is that time of the year again in the local golf scene when the annual Charity Golf Derby between two old rival schools, Lenana and Nairobi takes centre stage.

On Friday, at the par 72 Karen Country Club, the Laibons, old students of Lenana School (formerly Duke of York), will compete against their eternal friends and rivals, the Old Cambrians of Nairobi School (formerly the Prince of Wales).

The fixture is also used to raise funds for the alumni’s support of their respective schools. The two sides will however host alumni golfers from other schools.

According to Paul Ichangi, an old Laibon who even picked up the game of golf at Lenana School many years ago, this year’s event will feature Alliance Girls, who will be defending the Alumni Girls School Shield led by former Cabinet Secretary Betty Maina.

Other Alumni Associations to feature are Precious Blood Riruta, Kenya High School and Alliance High School. This will be the ninth edition of the competition.

The Laibons have won five times and the Old Cambrians three times. The Old Cambrian event will be staged in August 11 at Royal Nairobi Golf Club, Kenya’s oldest golf club.

“We expect a lot of energy, enthusiasm, and great fun for the over 250 players and participants. Last year, the Laibons won both home and away matches and are out for a repeat this year," said Ichangi.

Interestingly, this year’s is probably the biggest registration to date from the Old Cambrians, who have heeded the captain’s (Yassin Awale) rallying call.

Awale said: “In the past the Laibons have always mustered more numbers than Old Cambrians, giving them an edge following the laws of probability.’’

Awale adds: “This year with over 50 OCs registered to play, we are determined to reverse the trend of being a close second to our arch rivals.”