By ENOCK NGOME

Kenya’s amateur golf team will leave this weekend for Johannesburg, South Africa to participate in the Africa Amateur Golf Team Championship (AAGTC) to be staged at the Lake Club Benoni.

The team of Vet Lab’s Matthew Omondi, Golf Park’s duo of David Opati and Joseph Karanja will join South African based Stefan Andersen in the bi-annual AAGTC where they will face Africa’s top golfers from over 19 other African states. The AAGTC, a 72-hole Championship will tee off on Tuesday the 18th of October and conclude on Friday the 21st of October 2011.

Presenting the Kenyan Flag to the team, the Minister for Youth and Sports Affairs, Hon. Paul Otuoma congratulated the Kenya Golf Union for great leadership.

“The KGU has continued to work in a transparent and efficient manner and this is reflected in the success of the national golf team,” Otuoma said. “At the 2009 AAGC held in Cairo, Egypt, Kenya finished second to South Africa; this year, I expect the team to come back with the trophy.”

Accepting the flag on behalf of the team, KGU Chairman Mwaniki Gachoka thanked the Minister for supporting the game of golf. “Golf is now an Olympic Sport and in Kenya we have continued to demystify the game and to encourage more young people to learn and play the game of golf,” Gachoka said. “As we fly to South Africa, our aim will be singular, to win the 2011 AAGTC.”

At the same ceremony, NIC Bank Group Managing Director Mr. James Macharia, presented the KGU with a sponsorship cheque of Sh300,000 for participation in the AAGTC.

“NIC Bank is happy to present the team to South Africa with this sponsorship of Sh300,000 and travel insurance cover of $200,000 per person for the trip,” Macharia said. “NIC Bank takes pride in promoting sports particularly nurturing amateurs in the golfing industry. At NIC it is our intention to ensure the
Kenyan delegation to South Africa enjoys peace of mind that comes with being covered financially.”

The NIC Bank’s involvement in the sporting industry has been significant in recent years with millions of shillings worth of sponsorship channeled towards supporting sports talent. nike air max hombre nike air max hombre

By ENOCK NGOME

Kitale Golf Club, the only 18 holes golf course in the Northern Rift Valley, will this weekend 15th October 2011 host the seventh qualifying round of the Safaricom Business Golf Challenge.
The Safaricom challenge tour started in August 2011 at Windsor Golf Club then moved to Nyanza Golf Club, Kakamega, Thika, Nakuru and recently at Vet Lab Golf Club.
Since inception, the series has attracted over 1000 golfers with 12 players qualifying for a fully paid trip to play in the Grand finals at Vipingo Ridge, Mombasa.
The par 73 course home of the long par five’s will host over 70 golfers drawn from Kitale Golf Club and Eldoret Golf Club.
Some of the players expected to pose the greatest challenge include low handicap Philip Shiharsy (2), Elisha Mwei(10), Peter Koech (14) and Eldoret’s Andrew Chelogoi playing off handicap 5.
Also in contention for the top prize will be well known long-hitters Kipngetich Seren from Eldoret, who recently turned handicap 1 and Zack Nderitu (8) the Kitale Club Chairman and also the immediate past captain.
“We have been blessed with the rains in this region and the golfers can expect to play in wonderful course condition. The greens are perfect and running fast,” said the club captain Charles Yano.
Among the array of prizes to be won on Saturday will be fully loaded laptops, BlackBerry phones, Ideos phones, airtime and trophies.

From Kitale Golf club, action will move to Southern Rift at the Kericho Golf club on 29th October 2011. Nandi Bears Club members are expected to qualify from the same venue. canada goose sale canada goose sale