Relief as Mutahi, coach recover 'lost' bags

AT ROYAL DAR ES SALAAM, MOROCCO

It was a happy moment for the Kenyan junior team for the All Africa Junior Golf Champions despite the awful cold and wet course condition at the start of the tournament.

At least all the bags which had been left behind at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi and N'Djamena in Chad arrived in Casablanca and finally at the golf club.

Kenya's boys' team captain Kibugu Mutahi and his coach John van Liefland's golf bags were among those which had been left behind despite having been checked in at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Saturday.

"I am so relieved, I had felt like a prisoner without my bag and using the same cloths for three days," said Africa Golf Confederation (AGC) vice president Johnson Omollo from Uganda. He said he had given up on getting his belongings since there was no positive responses from Royal Air Morocco and the organising committee.

"I must say it is a real big relief getting my bag. Its a refreshing feeling that I am able to change my clothes every day now,'' added Omollo.

He said he was however impressed by the organisation of the event by the Royal Morocco Golf Federation. "They put up excellent facilities and the organisation is superb."

Kenya's assistant team manager Philip Ocholla whose clothes and bag had also been left behind, was grateful to Kenya's consulate to the Kingdom of Morocco Ali Bajaber for his intervention to make sure that Royal Air Morocco had managed to get the bags flown to Casablanca.

All the teams including defending champions South Africa were struggling with the wet condition of the course where only one South African Vorster Martin was one over after the first seven holes while the others were on four and five over.

For the Kenyans, Mutahi and Agil Is-Haq were on seven over in the first seven holes and Daniel Kiragu was on nine over. The weather was however improving with the rains having stopped.