Kenya to send 10 players for Victoria Cup
Agil Jamal follows the progress of his shot from the 18th Fairway during the Victoria Cup Golf tournament on June 4, 2016 at the Muthaiga Golf Club. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |
What you need to know:
- The Kenya Golf Union (KGU) on Wednesday released the names of the team which will compete in this year’s Victoria Cup to be held at Entebbe Golf Club, Uganda from July 6 to 8.
- The 10-man team was selected on the basis of the current Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC) series.
- This is the second edition of the rotational Victoria Cup between Kenya and Uganda.
The Kenya Golf Union (KGU) on Wednesday released the names of the team which will compete in this year’s Victoria Cup to be held at the Entebbe Golf Club, Uganda from July 6 to 8.
The 10-man team selected on the basis of the current Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC) series ranking include; John Karichu (Limuru Country Club), Mike Kisia (Vet lab), Samuel Njoroge, Alfred Nandwa (Kenya Railways), Edwin Mudanyi (Vet Lab).
Others are Kenneth Bollo, Dennis Saikwa (Royal Nairobi), Jeff Kubwa (Muthaiga) and the country’s top two juniors Agil Is-Haq of Nyali Golf and country club Mombasa and Muthaiga’s Mutahi Kibugu.
In a press release, KGU chairman Richard Wanjalla said though some of the players have been under going training under the national coach John van Liefland at Muthaiga Golf Club, the official practise will start next weekend.
This is the second edition of the rotational Victoria Cup between Kenya and Uganda, whose inaugural event was held at Muthaiga Golf Club in June last year, where hosts Kenya lifted the trophy.
This year’s tournament at the lake-side Entebbe course will be sponsored by Uganda Breweries Limited under the Tusker Malt Lager (TML) brand, which has been the title sponsor of the annual Uganda Open, whose 2017 edition is set for September.
The format of the event just like last year, will be played on the Ryder Cup format with each country fielding a team of 10 players.
The Kenyan side will be led by the KGU chairman Wanjalla, his vice Lucas Maranga and national coach John van Liefland.
Speaking at Muthaiga during Monday’s training session with some of the players, coach Liefland said he was happy that the players are working hard to improve particularly the short-game.
“We have been focusing on putting where many players usually do badly," said Liefland.
Four of the Uganda-bound squad namely Alfred Nandwa, Samuel Njoroge, John Karichu and Edwin Mudanyi represented Kenya during this year’s Africa Region Five Championship at Nkana Golf Club in Kitwe, Zambia where Kenya reached the semi finals in the first division.
