KGU name eight players for EA Challenge Cup
What you need to know:
- The Kenya Golf Union (KGU) yesterday named the national golf team for this year’s East African Challenge Cup to be held at Dar es Salaam Gymkhana Club, Tanzania next week.
- The eight-man team, which consists of six senior and two junior players, was selected on the basis of the current Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC) series.
- The six senior players are Alfred Nandwa (captain), Samuel Njoroge (Kenya Railway Golf Club), Edwin Mudanyi and Mike Kisia (Vet Lab), John Karichu (Limuru), and Dennis Saikwa (Royal Nairobi Golf Club).
The Kenya Golf Union (KGU) yesterday named the national golf team for this year’s East African Challenge Cup to be held at Dar es Salaam Gymkhana Club, Tanzania next week.
The eight-man team, which consists of six senior and two junior players, was selected on the basis of the current Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC) series.
The six senior players are Alfred Nandwa (captain), Samuel Njoroge (Kenya Railway Golf Club), Edwin Mudanyi and Mike Kisia (Vet Lab), John Karichu (Limuru), and Dennis Saikwa (Royal Nairobi Golf Club).
The two juniors picked on the Junior Golf Foundation Order of Merit are Agil Is-Haq (Nyali), and Kibugu Mutahi of Muthaiga Golf Club.
The team, which will be led by KGU chairman Richard Wanjalla and national coach John van Liefland, leaves on Tuesday for Dar es Salaam.
The championship will be renamed Africa Region Four Championship.
Kenya will face five other East African countries namely Uganda, host Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and Ethiopia.
Team captain Nandwa said the players had been practising under Van Liefland since returning from Uganda.
“We have a strong team and having beaten Uganda on their own turf, during the Victoria Cup a month ago, I believe we stand a good chance of recapturing the cup from them this year,’’ said Nandwa.
According to the early programme released by the organizing committee, all teams are expected in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday ready for the official practice round in the morning that will be followed by managers meeting and the flag raising ceremony.
The first round singles is set for August 24, while the second and third rounds foursomes and four ball better ball will take place a day later with the final round singles on August 26.
The East Africa Challenge Cup started in 1999 in Tanzania and since then, Kenya, has won the cup 12 times.
During last year’s championship in Addis Ababa Ethiopia, Kenya tied with Uganda on a total of 16 points.
By virtue of being the defending champions, Uganda went home with the cup.
The last time Kenya emerged outright winners was in 2013 when the event was held at the Great Rift Valley Golf Resort in Naivasha.
