Kenya names team for Victoria Cup

The Kenya Golf Union (KGU) has released the names of the national golf team that will take part in this year’s Victoria Cup set for the lake-side Entebbe Golf Club course in Uganda from July 6 to 8.

In a press release, KGU chairman Richard Wanjalla said though some of the players have been training under Kenya coach John van Liefland at Muthaiga Golf Club, the official practise will start next weekend.

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 Nadwa (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.

The team is expected to travel to Uganda by road on June 4 ready to defend the cup.

This will be the second edition of the Cup between Kenya and Uganda first held at Muthaiga Golf Club in June last year.

REACHED SEMIS

The event will be played on the Ryder Cup format with each country will 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 Nandwa, Njoroge, Karichu and 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.