Deaflympics: Golfer Isaac Makokha aiming higher

It is more than just an honour for top Deaf golfer Isaac Makokha in gracing the 24th Deaflympics in Caxias do Sul, Brazil.

Yes, Makokha and the team's coach Vincent Wang'ombe have declared that they will be going for the gold medal at the delayed global championships, which started on Sunday.

But Makokha, the 2020 Kenya Amateur Match Play golf champion, also treasures gracing the global games, as he believes that it will go a long way in seeing him succeed in his new course -- having many young Kenyan deaf people join the sport.

It is little surprising the 30-year-old was on Wednesday morning brimming with joy when he boarded the plane at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to start the long journey for the Games in the South American nation.

With him were two other golfers -- Adan Wario, 41, and Gilbert Alikula, 38, and their caddies. The golf competition is scheduled to start this weekend at the nine-hole Caxias Do Sul Gold Club.

Four years ago Makokha made his Deaflympics debut in Samsun, Turkey as the sole Kenyan golfer. He finished fifth.

"When I first met them Wario and Alikula, I felt motivated because we were working together. I had to take them through the game, in the process also learning from them," said Makokha who plays off handicap 0.8.

“Playing at the Deaflympics with them motivates me to work extra-hard in having more Kenyan Deaf children play the sport. Our presence in Brazil will definately motivate the young deaf children to embrace golf.”

In the initiative, which is still on it's formative stage, Makokha has partnered with the Kenya Golf Union (KGU).

The Vet Club member is a certified children golf coach.

Wang'ombe, who is the KGU Chief Executive Officer, has enrolled for sign language classes. In the programme, they intend to rope in schools for the deaf.

Makokha, Wario and Alikula bagged tickets to the Deaflympics by virtue of being handicap 10 and below. Alikula and Wario are handicap 2.5 and 7.5 respectively.

In Caxias Do Sul, the 32 golfers who have been entered for the competition will engaged in stroke play from Saturday to Monday for quarter-final slots.

The quarters, semi-finals and final will be played in a match play format.

Meanwhile, the Kenya national men’s basketball team were Wednesday night whitewashed 143-18 by favourites United States at Clube Juvenil-Sede Campestre-Sport gym. The Kenya women’s handball team lost 12-18 to defending champions Denmark.

The Kenyans had lost 43-16 to Turkey in their opening match.