Kenya two good for Uganda in Africa Region Four final

In Kigo, Uganda

Kenya’s national golf team beat hosts and defending champions Uganda in both the Singles and Foursomes, to claim the Africa Region Four Golf title at the par 72 Lake Victoria Serena Golf and Spa course in Kigo, Uganda on Saturday.

This is the first time Kenya has won the Championship whose two previous editions were won by Uganda at Nyali Golf and Country Club Mombasa in 2018 and at Bujumbura Golf Club in Burundi in 2019.

Before then, Kenya had won the last Challenge Cup in Tanzania in 2017 after tying with Uganda in Ethiopia the previous year. The Kenyans just like in the 72-hole stroke play format, produced great performance which saw them lead in their matches half way through the round.

And it was Nyali’s Adel Balala who picked the first point for the team after beating Godfrey Nsubuga 4-3, before John Lejirmah beat the Uganda Captain Joseph Cwinyaai 5-4, a victory which motivated the foursomes pair of Kenyan team captain Dennis Maara and partner Michael Karanga who beat Dennis Asaba and Ibra Bagalana 4-3 in an entertaining match which ended at the 15th hole where Karanga fired to about two feet from the pin, for Maara to role it in for a birdie and end the match there in the process handing Kenya a total of three points.

‘I would like to congratulate my teammates for the great performance in this tournament but moreso for today’s round. We started the tournament in a slow pace but we kept on improving  and it was obvious we were stronger than Uganda at the end,’’ said Maara who requested the Kenya Golf Union to try and get more international events to give the players the needed exposure.

“Events like the All Africa Team Championship, and the Eisenhower Trophy will obviously give us the exposure we need,’’ added Maara who is also the Kenya Amateur Match Play Champion.

On the other hand, Uganda Captain Joseph Cwinyaai said Kenya was the better team and they played well right from the word go.

“We had a good chance of winning the trophy being the defending champions and playing at home. However, our Kenyan opponents were just too good and it is because they play more national events that us. Since the year begun we have played a handful of tournaments compared to the Kenyans. We are however starting training tomorrow in readiness for the Victoria Cup against Kenya in Limuru where we will be defending the cup,’’ said Cwinyaai.

He said Uganda need to establish golf academies where kids can start preparing at an early age and at the same time organise more events.

Meanwhile, Rwanda finished third in the tournament after winning one single and losing one. They scored a 1-up victory in the foursomes while Tanzania won only one single match and lost in the foursomes and one single.

Burundi won one single and the foursomes to finish in fifth place with Ethiopia coming home sixth with only one point.