Adel Taufiq Balala follows his shot during the 2025 NCBA Kabete Open

By DANIELLA APIYO

The 2025 NCBA Golf Series final qualifying leg will take place this Saturday, 1st November, ahead of a busy golfing weekend that will also feature the Kenya Amateur Golf Championship Series and the US Kids Golf. Click this link https://a.meridianbet.ke/c/C7pYjz to start gaming and stand a chance of winning big with Meridianbet.

The NCBA Golf Series, now in its fifth year, will be held at Muthaiga Golf Club, where over 300 golfers have signed up to battle for slots to the coveted Grand Finale scheduled to be held at the same venue on November 28, 2025.

Golfers will battle for top honours across multiple categories, including Overall Men Gross Winner, Overall Lady Gross Winner, Division 2 Men & Lady Winner, Division 3 Overall Winner, and Junior Winner, where each of them will secure a spot in the finale.

More golf action will unfold at Golf Park as the KAGC Series takes center stage for the fourth edition of the Golf Park Open from Friday, 31st October to Sunday, 2nd November.

Home player Josphat Rono will be aiming to defend the title he won last year but will face a stiff challenge from the star-studded list that has Elvis Muigua, William Odek, Isaac Makokha, Joyce Wanjiru, and Mercy Nyanchama, among others.

Meanwhile, the NCBA U.S. Kids Golf Fall Nairobi Local Tour is set to culminate with the Tour Championship this Sunday, November 2nd, at Muthaiga Golf Club. The tournament is expected to attract at least 200 junior golfers, aged between 5 and 18 years, who will compete in age-specific categories. The event is organised in partnership with U.S. Kids Golf and the Junior Golf Foundation Kenya, with support from NCBA Bank.

NCBA’s support for junior golf is part of its long-term commitment to nurturing the next generation of talent in the region. Through its investment in junior tournaments, the bank seeks to provide young golfers with the opportunity to build their skills and gain exposure.

The junior golfers will also have a chance to earn Priority Status points, which could qualify them for U.S. Kids Golf international events, including the Regional Invitational and the U.S. Kids Golf Regional Championship, scheduled later this year.

Speaking ahead of the events, NCBA Group Managing Director John Gachora emphasized the bank’s continued commitment to supporting the growth of golf in Kenya.

“We are in for yet another busy golfing weekend, from the NCBA Golf Series to the KAGC Series, to the US Kids Golf Tour Championship at Muthaiga. This is a testament to what we continue to work towards in our involvement in the sport by ensuring that we grow the game at all levels.

As we come to the end of the qualifying phase of the NCBA Golf Series and approach the Grand Finale, we are immensely grateful to everyone who has made it a success, the players, the caddies, the clubs. We are proud to support this dynamic sport that fosters community and skill development across the region.”

Betika Group Head of Brand Eric Mwiti with IMG Kenya CEO Peter Gacheru during the signing of the sponsorship agreement for the Betika Masters, the 7th & 8th legs of the Sunshine Development Tour.

By DANIELLA APIYO 

The upcoming doubleheader of the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing has received a shot in the arm after leading gaming firm Betika injected KES 5 million sponsorship for two back-to-back tournaments scheduled for November. Click this link https://a.meridianbet.ke/c/C7pYjz to start gaming and stand a chance of winning big with Meridianbet.

The two events, dubbed Betika Masters, will be played over consecutive weeks, with the first held at the Vetlab Sports Club from November 2nd to 4th, followed by Limuru Country Club from November 9th to 11th, 2025.

Both events are expected to attract at least 100 golfers from East Africa and beyond, and will be played over 54 holes, with a cut set for the top 30 and ties after round two. Players will compete not only for a share of the two million shillings prize purse at each event, but also for crucial global ranking points on the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing, which counts towards progression into larger global tournaments.

Speaking during the sponsorship presentation, Betika Head of Brand Eric Mwiti said:

“We are proud to support the Sunshine Development Tour as part of our commitment to growing sports inclusively. Our focus in the sport previously has been on players, and we are currently sponsoring John Lejirma and Michael Karanga, among other players. However, seeing their progress in the competition and the impact it has had on their rankings in the world, we have decided to support the pathway itself so that other players, irrespective of their background, can have the chance to get the same pathway. We believe in unlocking potential at all levels and creating a legacy of opportunity and excellence.”

Lejirma and Karanga are currently enjoying sponsorship from Betika, the support being a continuation of what started during the 2024 Magical Kenya Open.

The Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing provides a structured platform for professionals and elite amateurs to earn Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) and World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points, alongside Sunshine Development Tour Order of Merit points, contributing to qualification opportunities for higher-tier tours such as the Sunshine Tour and Big Easy Tour in South Africa.

Betika Group Head of Brand Eric Mwiti with IMG Kenya CEO Peter Gacheru during the signing of the sponsorship.

Peter Gacheru, IMG Kenya CEO, expressed his delight at having Betika support the event.

“We are excited to have Betika on board for the Vetlab and Limuru editions of the SDT-EAS. They have been in the golf space, sponsoring individual golfers to make the game accessible to all. By extending their support to this tournament, they are impacting more golfers with a platform to earn world ranking points even without going out of the country in search of tournaments of such calibre, as it would have been the case before we introduced the tour. With the support of partners like Betika, we’re not just growing a tournament, but we are also building a pathway for Kenyan golfers to the global stage, irrespective of where they come from,” he said.

Earlier in October, Kenya’s top amateur golfer Lejirma produced a composed performance under pressure to claim victory during the sixth leg of the tour, following a dramatic sudden-death playoff at the Royal Nairobi Golf Club.

Lejirma, who began the final round with a commanding four-shot lead over his closest challenger Njoroge Kibugu, saw his advantage wiped out as Kibugu mounted a spirited comeback. Despite dropping a single shot on the par-4 11th hole, Lejirma held his nerve to force a sudden-death playoff after both players tied on 10-under-par after regulation play.

On the playoff hole – the par-4 18th – Lejirma kept his composure to card a par, as Kibugu faltered with a bogey, handing the home favourite a hard-fought and emotional victory.

Up next on the SDT-EAS calendar is the VetLab Sports Club leg set for November 2-4, before paving the way for the Limuru event.