By Spy Uganda
The Kenyan national golf team clinched its second international trophy in less than a month after beating Uganda during this year’s Victoria Cup at Limuru Country Club course over the weekend.
The 10-man team led by coach John van Liefland and team manager Philip Ochola produced a sterling performance, winning all the five rounds for a total of 25-5 points against the Ugandans who were the defending champions.
During the opening round on Friday, the pair of Adel Balala and Sammy Mulama won 4-3 against Uganda’s Joseph Kasozi and Kenya-based Michael Alunga, while Njoroge Kibugu and Andrew Wahome won 2-up against Joseph Cwinyaai and Joseph Akena.
The third point came through John Lejirmah and Daniel Kiragu who beat Ibra Bagalana and Dennis Asaba 4-3 and finally the Kenya Team captain Dennis Maara and Michael Karanga defeated Godfrey Nsubuga and Tom Jingo 3-2 for Kenya to lead 4-0.
In the second round, Balala and Mulama won 2-up against Mugisha and Nsubuga, but the two Kenyan youngsters Kibugu and Wahome went down 3-2 to Bagalana and Jingo. Lejirmah and Kiragu beat Cwinyaai and Akena 3-2, with the captain Maara and Karanga posting a massive 7-6 against Alunga and Kasozi.
It was in the third round where Kenya managed to go clear 10 points after winning all the matches where Balala and Mulama beat Mugisha and Nsubuga 4-2 and Lejirmah and Kibugu won 4-3 against Akena and Ssekibeja.
The toughest match for the team in that round was the one between Maara and Karanga and Ugandan captain Cwinyaai and partner Alunga where the Kenyans won by a hole. But Ebill Omollo and Chris Andrea posted 3-1 victory against Jingo and Bagalana.
During the fourth round, the Ugandans managed to halved two matches against Balala and Mulama and the last one between Cwinyaai and Alunga and Kenya’s Omollo and Andrea though the Kenyans won two matches to close the day on 14-2.
During the fifth and final round singles, Kenya won seven matches against Uganda’s three for a total of 21-5 points victory.
The Kenyan returned to training soon after the closing ceremony, to prepare for the All Africa Team Golf Championship in Egypt next month.
“We are now going to concentrate in tactics training which we did not have time to do it this time round. It is obviously we have a good team but we have to now try and focus more tactics training,’ said John van Liefland.
Uganda, won the trophy back home in 2019 while because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the rotational tournament did not take place and so was last year.
Last month Kenya managed to beat Uganda at the Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort course, to re-capture the Africa Region Four trophy won by Uganda in 2019 in Burundi.
