Uganda juniors chase World Cup spot at All Africa Golf Championship

Uganda will renew its golf rivalry with Kenya in Nairobi when their juniors’ sides clash with Africa’s best juniors during the 2026 All Africa Junior Team Championship (AAJTC), to be held at the Windsor Golf Hotel & Country Club, March 23–26.

Over 100 elite junior golfers aged 18 and under from 15 African nations will compete in this Africa Golf Confederation (AGC) organised tournament, which also serves as a qualifier for the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup in Japan.

According to the AGC president, Johnson Omollo, the Kenya Golf Federation, in collaboration with the Kenya Golf Union and Junior Golf Federation, is coordinating the event management.

"This exciting tournament will feature 14 countries, including Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, Zambia, Egypt, Tunisia, Nigeria, Morocco, Cote d'Ivoire, and Ghana. The event will serve as a qualifier for the Toyota Junior World Cup of Golf in Nagoya, Japan, with winners in both the boys' and girls' categories securing a spot," Omollo said.

"The AGC continues to promote Africa as a premier destination for golf tourism and investment, showcasing the continent's rich culture, security, and favorable climate, alongside emerging world-class hospitality investments. The growth of junior golf in Africa has been remarkable, and the introduction of regional junior golf events has provided young golfers with increased international exposure and opportunities to compete for their countries."

Record 18-time winners and the defending champions, South Africa will be the country to beat in the annual event in which Uganda finished fifth out of 12 countries in the boy’s category in Tunisia last year. Uganda was represented by John Paul Rugumambaju, Anthony Otukei, Shaka Kariisa, and Peter Mayende, and the girls' team consisted of Keisha Wiltshire Kagoro, Rachael Laura Natukunda, and Elizabeth Danelle Kawalya. Uganda last competed in the World Cup in 2023 after they finished second at a similar event held at the Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort. The Ugandan boys’ team carded a closing round of 226 strokes to finish the 72-hole championship with a total of 940 strokes, behind record winners of the championship, South Africa, who won the championship by 90 strokes after carding a total of 850 strokes over the four rounds.