Peace Kabasweka will be aiming to win her second Entebbe Ladies Open title when the event tees off at Entebbe Club on Thursday.

With the defending champion, Martha Babirye not available to defend her title, the onus is now on one-time winner Kabasweka who will battle the rest of the field in the event that has been upgraded to a World Amateur Golf Ranking event and which will now be competed for over 54 holes.

Kabasweka won the event for the first time in 2022 before Babirye dislodged her last year.

The three-day event launched on Wednesday at Entebbe Club, has attracted a galaxy of sponsors that include KCB Bank which has offered sh8m, Uganda Airlines which will provide three tickets to the best ladies, and Pepsi through their 7UP brand will provide all the soft drinks during the duration of the tournament.

The other sponsors include MTN, Britam Insurance, Johnnie Walker and the Uganda Ladies Golf Union who will all chip in with different goodies to the winners.

Addressing a press conference at the club Entebbe Club lady captain Jovia Tugume said the event has also attracted golfers from Kenya who will battle other ladies like Bridget Basiima, Rita Apell, Maureen Okura, Judith Komugisha, Melon Kyomugisha among others.

“This is the tournament that opens up the Entebbe Club calendar and we have already registered over 200 players in the different categories. The gross players (ladies and men) will play 54 holes while those in other categories will play on Friday and Saturday. The men will play in the subsidiary event on Saturday,” Tugume said.

“We have asked the technical team to set up the course to the standard of the Uganda Open and I would like to encourage all the ladies to come and participate in this prestigious event, I promise that we will put on a good show,” she added.

(L-R) Entebbe Club player Bridget Basiima, KCB Bank’s Zainab Kalyowa, Uganda Airlines’ Sylivia Kaggwa, Entebbe Club lady captain Jovia Tugume, Crown Beverages’ Jemimah Akatekit and player Maureen Okura pose with some of the goodies that will be up for grabs. Photo by Michael Nsubuga

Crown Beverages corporate communications manager Jemimah Akatekit said they were happy to add the event to their roster of sponsorships under the 7UP brand.

“We hope the event will be amazing as always and we wish all the players the best. We would like to boost local talent and with this one, we would like to grow the game among women,” Akatekit said.

Uganda Airlines' salesperson Sylvia Kaggwa said they are privileged and excited to be part of the tournament that brings the game closer to the people.

“We have been partners since 2020 and we shall continue giving away tickets to the winners to any of our destinations on top of other goodies. We hope that these tickets can help them to participate in other cities like Nairobi, Johannesburg and or Dubai as we also promote tourism between our and the different countries,” Kaggwa stated.

KCB Bank marketing executive Zainab Kalyowa appreciated the co-sponsors, the players and Entebbe Club for always ensuring the success of this event.

“We take pride in our long-time sponsorship of this event, a partnership that commenced in 2021. Our commitment to sponsoring golf not only fosters the group and the sports fraternity but also positions us as a socially conscious and relevant player in the market,” Kalyowa noted.

“Sponsoring this event is one of our initiatives to commemorate Women’s Day by celebrating the milestones of women and promoting diversity and inclusion which is aligned with our purpose ‘for people for better’ dedicated to fostering prosperity for individuals and the communities that we operate in.

“This sponsorship underscores our unwavering belief in the transformative power of sports to inspire, unite, and drive positive change,” Kalyowa stated.

Irene Nakalembe with seven titles holds the record for the most wins in this event.