Eastern region ends 23-year jinx

By JAMES BAKAMA

Final results
Eastern 26.5
Western 25.5
Northern 22
Buganda 22

UGANDA Golf Club rocked with celebrations yesterday as Eastern won its first ever Inter-regional Golf title. The new champions in the process ended a 23-year jinx that had kept the region as the only team never to have won the prestigious title.

Led by Len Ogembo, ‘the wise’ men from the east, were in sparkling form on the final day as they edged Western to the title by 1.5 points. The two-day competition at the Uganda Golf Club, Kitante was sponsored by Nile Breweries and UAP Insurance.

Petra Nalwoga, Peter Tapi, Ruth Nassali and Mark Patrick formed part of the youthful winners’ side that could not even be shaken by a heavy downpour in the final stages of the competition. The region’s chairman Johnson Omolo attributed the form to a heavy investment in youth and good management.

“Ours is a very young team. That’s a bold statement that we are not about to let go of the lead.”

Besides employing Uganda’s best golfer Deo Akope as technical manager, Eastern also had a strong management team comprising of Kitumba Magala, Ogembo, John Mwalimu, Martin Abuya and Omolo.