The golfers on the national junior golf team this year could not replicate what their counterparts on the team achieved last year after they finished tenth at this year’s All-Africa Junior Team Championships held at the Benoni Country Club in Johannesburg, August 21-16.

Last year Uganda’s team which comprised Reagan Akena, Juma Abiti, Ibrahim Ssemakula, and Abdu Kakeeto finished second overall at the championship held at the Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort, to qualify for the Toyota World Cup in Japan.

This was the second time Uganda was playing at the World Cup having made their debut in 2019 when Coach Stephen Kasaija’s team composed of Michael Alunga, Dennis Asaba, Ibrahim Aliga, and Joel Basalaine made it there.

Despite this year’s team having Semakula and Charles Jjuju who were part of team Uganda that played at the World Cup last year, the team could not match the competition in South Africa, finishing tenth out of fifteen teams in the boys’ category.

Africa Golf Confederation president Johnson Omollo (right) presents trophies to the South African girls team members after the championship. courtesy photo

The girls’ team finished ninth out of eleven as South Africa dominated in both categories as they have always done at this championship.

This year in South Africa, Uganda was represented by Brian Mande, Charles Jjunju, Collins Matovu, and Ibrahim Ssemakula who made the boys’ team while the girls' team had Winnie Musuya, Keisha Kagoro, and Rachael Natukunda.  

Uganda carded a total of 992 strokes (+128) over the four rounds, while the girls managed 711 (+135) over the same to record one of Uganda’s worst performances at this level over the last five years.

In both categories, South Africa won the event with a record total of 842 (-22) and the girls’ event with 570 (-6) to book their tickets to this year’s Toyota Junior World Cup in Japan.

It was only in the individual standings where Uganda fared fairly well, with Ibrahim Ssemakula managing a 15th place finish out of 59 with Jjunju and Mmande managing 35th and 47th places respectively.

Each boys’ team was represented by four juniors (with the best three-scores counting per round) while the girls’ teams had three representatives each with two scoring per round.

Final results-boys

South Africa 211 212 210 209 842

Zimbabwe 232 220 216 214 882

Zambia 232 221 233 229 915

Kenya 231 242 229 231 933

Namibia 241 242 231 236 950

Ghana 240 234 239 239 952

Reunion 249 232 236 237 954

Egypt 247 253 235 242 977

Tunisia 249 245 252 245 991

Mauritius 256 243 251 242 992

Uganda 257 251 241 243 992

Tanzania 249 254 250 253 1006

Malawi 262 248 258 253 1021

Botswana 269 267 269 273 1078

Cote d'Ivoire 275 268 268 267 1078

Girls results

South Africa 149 136 137 148 570

Kenya 158 151 157 147 613

Morocco 155 153 151 157 616

Reunion 169 161 160 157 647

Zimbabwe 161 161 164 165 651

Tunisia 166 170 166 156 658

Zambia 180 179 173 171 703

Botswana 171 165 186 187 709

Uganda 184 170 185 172 711

Malawi 187 181 178 176 722

Mauritius 189 186 196 178 749