More countries confirm entry to Africa Championship

Two more countries have confirmed their participation in this year’s Africa Amateur Men’s Golf Team Championship to be held at Limuru Country Club from October 15-18.

The event’s organising committee chairman David Nyakang’o said Cote D’Ivoire and Nigeria were the latest to join the list of participants. This now brings the number of countries which have so far confirmed to 15 out of the anticipated 20.

The other countries which had confirmed earlier are hosts Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mauritius, Swaziland, Tunisia, Ethiopia, Egypt and Rwanda.

Nyakang’o, who is also the President of the East Africa Golf Confederation, said he was still awaiting the confirmation from Malawi, Re-Union, Ghana and 2007 hosts Namibia.

They have up to the end of this month to confirm their participation. A total of 12 countries took part in the last event held at the Royal Swazi Spa and Resort in Ezulwini, Swaziland where the AAGTC was born in 2001.

South Africa, which has dominated the event since its inception, once again claimed the overall title while Kenya finished fourth. This is the first time the championship is being held in Kenya. Uganda hosted the third edition in 2005.

Nyakang’o said he will be very delighted to host more than 15 countries at Limuru in October. It is usually played over 72-holes in four days and each country will be represented by a team of four players from where the best three scores in each round will count towards the team aggregate.

There is also a trophy for the best individual player. During the 2009 event at the Dreamland Golf Resort outside Cairo, Kenya’s Boniface Simwa shot five under par in 72-holes to finish just a shot behind South Africa’s J.G. Clanssen. Both players are now professionals.

Last June, Kenya hosted the ladies version which attracted over 15 countries, while this year, Kenya will also stage the inaugural Africa Girls Championship at Nyali Golf and Country Club in Mombasa in August.