NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 26 – The Limuru Country Club will this week be a battleground as Kenya and Uganda renew their rivalry in the fifth edition of the Victoria Cup.
Kenya Golf Union (KGU) chair Njani Nderitu says the chilly weather in Limuru is the perfect recipe for cutthroat competition expected at the course as the hosts seek to reclaim the title they lost in 2019.
The tournament starts on Thursday and is set to run through Sunday.
“Golf is a sport played in different kinds of environments and as amateur golfers, they have to be prepared to compete in different conditions. The dates for the event were sent a long time ago and the invites were sent to Uganda,”Nderitu said.
He adds; “We did not expect this kind of weather but in any case both teams are not strangers to Limuru. The weather is just perfect for both of them,” Nderitu said.
The first edition of the Victoria Cup was held in 2016 with Kenya clinching the first three editions before Uganda won the last one in 2019 in Entebbe.
Kenya, however, gained their pound of flesh when they won the Africa Zone IV Golf Championships in Uganda, a fortnight ago.
Despite their dominance over their East African rivals, Nderitu gave credit to Uganda for the strides made in recent years.
He admitted the need for the hosts to remain alert lest their opponents return home with the cup for the second consecutive time.
“The truth is Uganda is not an easy opponent to play against. The fact that they won in 2019 shows how far they have come but I believe we also have what it takes to ensure the cup remains here in Kenya. We have trained well and are prepared,” Nderitu said.
The Kenyans, under the tutelage of John van Liefland, have been in training for the past three weeks.
Both Kenya and Uganda will be represented by 10 golfers each.
Speaking at the same time, KGU Honorary Secretary David Ndung’u described the Victoria Cup as part of the federation’s long-term plan of nurturing young talents in the sport.
“If you look at the team named for this weekend’s competition, 30 percent of them are junior players. This goes to show the developmental plans we have in nurturing young players to give them the opportunity to make it international,” Ndung’u said.
After this weekend’s assignment, attention shifts to the All Africa Golf Team Championships in Cairo, Egypt on September 25 as well as the Kenya Open in March next year.
Kenyan team:
Dennis Maara (Captain); Adel Balala; Andrew Wahome; Christopher Andrea; Daniel Kiragu; Ebil Omollo; John Lejirma; Michael Karanga; Njoroge Kibugu; and Sammy Mulama.
Schedule of events:
Thursday 28th July – Practice round and flag raising ceremony
Friday 29th July – Main event round 1 (four ball better ball); main event round 2 (foursomes)
Saturday 30th July – Main event round 3 (four ball better ball); main event round 4 (foursomes)
Sunday 31st July – Main event round 5 (singles); subsidiary event (Texas scramble)
