Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Kenya national team captain Dennis Maara said the team is ready for the Africa Region Four Golf Championship that gets underway on Wednesday.

He said the par 71 Addis Ababa Golf Club course was a tough course that requires a sober approach for a player to produce a good score.

“It’s a very tough golf course, the layout is good, but the rough is big and easy for one to lose a ball, the fairways are fine though the greens are small, so it’s a bit tricky, its not what we are used to at home in Kenya, but we should have the skills to play it.  In any case we are all playing in the same course so we should have the skills to bring out the best game," said Maara.

"We will obviously focus on our game and try and bring out the best results out of our matches in order to retain the trophy," he added.

Speaking on the course, the Addis Ababa Golf Club captain Yassin Awale, a Kenyan and a former chairman of Limuru Country Club said: “We are considering to have a mark lift clean and place within one club length (preferred lies), though this is a decision which will have to be made by the organising committee.'

Besides Maara, Kenya’s team is made up of the on-form Michael Karanga of Kiambu, youngster Elvis Muigua also from Kiambu, and John Lejirmah from Kenya Railway Golf Club.

Last year, Kenya beat hosts Uganda in the final at the Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort and Spa course in Kigo to reclaim the trophy.

Uganda’s team is made up of coach Flavia Namakula, who steered Uganda’s junior boys' team to qualify for the Toyota World Junior Championship after finishing second to South Africa during the All Africa Junior Golf Championship in April in Uganda.

Her team is made of Joseph Reagan Akena, Juma Abiti, Ibrahim Bagalana and Godfrey Nsubuga, both regular participants in the Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC) series.

The home team comprises Mulugeta Dana, Hailemariam Negusse, Tilaye Getaneh, Binyam Gebreslassie and Akilu Haile. Team Tanzania has siaka Dunia, Melius Kajuna, Michael Masawe, Garv Chadha and team manager Dickson Sika.

The Rwandan squad has Dusabe Felix, Hitayezu Jean D’Mour, Niyonkuru Alain and Rutayire Emmanuel. The team is being managed by Semwaga Joseph.

Burundi pulled out of the tournament due to some logistical problems leaving only five countries to battle it out for the title. The first round is expected to start in the early hours of Wednesday morning.