Kenya eager to take on giants in Zimbabwe

Kenya’s squad for the All Africa Golf Team Championship is ready to tackle some of the continent’s giants such as South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Kenya Golf Union (KGU) chairman Richard Wanjalla said the team was picked on the basis of the Kenya Amateur Golf Championship series and the players performance during training.

“The four players selected represented the country in the Victoria Cup and East Africa Challenge where Kenya won thus, are all experience and all set to battle it out in Victoria Falls come next week," said Wanjalla when the team received the national flag from Sports, Culture and Arts Principal Secretary Peter Kaberia in his office in Nairobi on Friday.

FOCUS ON SHORT GAME

Kenya’s team is comprised of Alfred Nandwa (captain) from Railway Golf Club playing off handicap plus one, Edwin Mudanyi (Vetlab Sports Club, +1), John Karichu (Limuru Country Club, +2), and youngster Mutahi Kibugu from Muthaiga Golf Club playing off two.

“I have had a number of events which gave us the opportunity to gauge our game such as the Victoria Cup in Uganda, the East Africa Challenge Cup in Dar Es Salaam and later the Uganda Open," said Nandwa.

He said the players had been focusing on short game and other weak areas the coach discovered during those events.

“Since we returned from those events, we have been concentrating on the few mistakes the coach discovered and now we are all set. We have very strong players like John (Karichu) who has been shooting under par in most of the local events he has playing, Mudanyi too.”

The team, which leaves Sunday morning aboard Ethiopia Airways via Addis Ababa, will be led to Zimbabwe by Wanjalla and will include national team coach John Patrick Van Liefland.

Kaberia said the ministry was working on establishing Golf Academies in the country in collaboration with the Union.