Uganda junior golfers for Africa championships

Uganda's girls' and boys' teams pose before they left for the All Africa Golf Championship at the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam Club, Rabat Morocco. L-R: Joan Nampewo, Denis Asaba,Flavia Namakula (coach) Milly Nambooze, David Kamulindwa, Amos Kamya (coach), Edrine Okong and Loyce Bako. PHOTO: Michael Nsubuga

Uganda national Junior team captain Denis Asaba and coach Amos Kamya believe the team now has a better chance of competing at the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup in November having gained experience over the years.

Uganda's teams of 4 boys and 3 girls are headed for the All Africa Junior Golf Championship that tees off at the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam Club, Rabat Morocco from March 5-9. Each country will field a boys' team of four players plus a girls' team of three players or one team.

The top three finishers gain automatic qualification to the Toyota World Junior Golf Championships in Japan in November.

Kamya is banking on the experience his boys have gained over the past three years and expects better results than the fifth place finish they attained at last year's event in Zimbabwe.

Save for Edrine Okong who is making his debut on the team Asaba, Joel Basalaine, and David Kamulindwa were part of the team that finished fifth out of 12 countries last year.

 Uganda's girls' team at the Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort course. L-R: Joan Nampewo, Loyce Bako and Milly Nambooze. PHOTO: Michael Nsubuga

"This time we have to qualify; we have been well facilitated and have had enough practice over two months. The greens out there have always been a challenge but now we have practiced on similar ones at the Serena course in Kigo," Asaba reasoned.

But, it is the three-man-Flavia Namakula led girls team of Joan Nampewo, Loyce Bako and Milly Nambooze that fly out first today for the seven-day championships that has attracted 13 countries. The boys will fly out on Sunday.

Both teams were flagged off yesterday at the Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort course by UGU vice president Innocent Kihika and Treasurer Paul Baite, with Namakula also promising a good outing.

"Apart from Milly Nambooze, Loyce Bako and Joan Nampewo have been on the team before so I expect them to do well. It's been good training and third or fourth position is a possibility because Nampewo is good off the tee and Bako's putting is impressive," Namakula noted.

"They have experienced similar conditions to the ones in Morocco and preparations started two months ago so we expect them to adapt and return good results," team manager Oscar Semawere added.

UGU partnered with Lake Victoria Serena to host the boys and girls for a training camp to enable them experience the same conditions as the ones in Morocco. Serena also donated T-shirts and caps that the team will use in the tournament.