In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Kenya’s national men’s golf team was the first team to arrive for this year’s Africa Region Four Golf Championship which tees off Tuesday at the par 71 Addis Ababa Golf Club.

The Kenyan side, which is the defending their title they won at Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort in Kigo Uganda last year, the team is however minus one Michael Karanga, who is expected Monday evening after winning the Coronation Trophy, over the weekend in Nkauru.

However, leading the team of captain Dennis Maara, John Lejirmah and youngster Elvis Muigua, was the newly elected Kenya Golf Union (KGU) Chairman Philip Ochola, who is also the Chairman of the Technical Sub-Committee of the Africa Golf Confederation (AGC).

“We left Michael Karanga behind as he had a Visa appointment at the British High Commission in Nairobi, but we have booked him with the Monday evening Ethiopian Airlines, so he will be with us ready for the official opening tomorrow and the official practising round," said Ochola.
 
The team was received by the Addis Ababa Golf Club captain Yassin Awale, a long time Kenyan golf official now based in Addis Ababa, and  Ethiopian team official Elias Elmi. Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania were expected In the evening.

Also expected are AGC president Johnson Omolo from Uganda, Dr Chris Martin, Region 4 Executive member and Director Michael Mahachi, Chief Referee and Vice chair Technical committee and Edith Wanja, Executive secretary from Uganda

Awale said Burundi had pulled out of the tournament due to some transport cost issues.