Retired President Mwai Kibaki is welcomed by officials of Kenya Golf Union for the opening the East Africa Golf challenge at Great Rift Valley Lodge in Naivasha which has brought together six nations.

By CORRESPONDENT

Reigning champions Kenya today started their title defense on a wrong foot as they lost three crucial points in the opening round singles, to close the day in third position behind leaders Uganda and second placed Tanzania on the first day of this year’s six-nations East Africa Challenge Cup Golf Championship currently going on at the Great Rift Valley Golf Resort in Naivasha.
Today’s round, however did not end with out hitches as Kenya’s leading amateur John Karichu did not play the player who had been drawn to meet him and became the first player to lose his match against East Africa’s longest hitter Nuru Mollel.

According to the draw, Karichu who was down at the turn, had been drawn to play with another Tanzanian John Said who instead played with Rwanda’s Augustine Habeneza who the Tanzanian beat 1-up.

The Karichu and Molell match ended with a 3-2 in favour of Mollel. The organizing committee and match referees were meeting at the time of writing, to decide Tanzania’s player swapping.

The second Kenyan to lose his match was the Great Rift Valley’s very own Justus Madoya who lost a 1-up lead to go down 2-1 to Uganda’s team captain Philip Kasozi while the other important point for Kenya to go was in the match between junior Danile Nduva who lost to another top Ugandan Willy Kitata 3-1.

Earlier, kenyan team captain Robinson Owiti had posted 8-7 win against Rwanda’s Emmanuel Habeneza as another Kenyan junior Mathew Wahome beat Akilu Haile 6-5.

The third point for the hosts came through another Kenyan junior Adel Balala who beat Burundi’s Haruna Hakizimana 8-7. Also winning his match was Tony Omuli who beat Alloys Nsabimana 5-4. William Odera gave Kenya its fifth point following his 6-5 victory against Burundi’s Harry Ndereka.

Uganda won seven matches and lost only one where the junior player Daniel Baguma was beaten by Ethiopia’s Hagos Mulu 6-5.

Day one leader board.

The new comes Ethiopia also snatched half a point from Tanzania’s Emmanuel Samuel in the only match that ended at the 18th hole that saw Tanzania wind up with six and half points.

Rwanda had three points at the end of the day, Ethiopia two and half points while Burundi lost all the matches. There are two rounds today where the day starts with the foursomes in the morning from 7am followed by the four ball better ball in the afternoon.

Speaking at the end of the day, kenyan coast Anil Shah said though he was disappointed with the results,he will still push on in the remaining rounds. “We still chances in the remaining rounds and have advised the players not to give up but push on” he said. He said in a matchplay anything was possible. “It is not over until it is over, we can still turn the tables on both Uganda and Tanzania.” cheap air max cheap air max

Former President and Kenya Golf Union (KGU) chairman Mwai Kibaki delivers a speech during a recent golf function. He officially opened the East Africa Golf Championships at the Great Rift Valley Lodge and Golf Resort today.

KIBAKI’S OFFICIAL SPEECH

It gives me great pleasure to join you at this important occasion Kenya is this year’s host to the prestigious East Africa Golf Challenge. This year’s is the fifteenth edition of this great challenge attended by golfers from six countries in the region. And as always, hosting this special event is a moment of profound joy and pride.

To our friends from the rest of East Africa and to my fellow Kenyans, welcome! Your presence, and in particular the confidence you have shown in our country, demonstrates Kenya’s enduring appeal as a destination.

Besides, it signifies your confidence in our region’s future despite the hiccups visited upon us recently by enemies of peace and harmonious coexistence. Our resilience as a nation and indeed as a region is greatly boosted by this confidence.

It is through this kind of resolve to proceed with an event such as todays that we signal to those bent on disrupting our normal routine that we are focused on greater things.  So thank you very much for this gesture.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As would be expected, the Kenya Golf Union is extremely delighted to play host to this regional challenge. Firstly and for good measure, I have no doubt that participants will enjoy playing at the Great Rift Valley Golf Resort. This as you will shortly see is a beautiful golf course set on one of the world’s most remarkable geographical features – the Great Rift Valley.

Secondly, one is impressed to note that this event continues to showcase East Africa’s top cream amateurs. I, therefore, unreservedly congratulate the Members of East Africa Golf Federation for consistently organising this worthwhile regional event year in, year out.

The East Africa Golf Challenge provides an ideal opportunity for Sports Diplomacy, and if you will, Golf Diplomacy. Among golfing ambassadors gathered here today is a rich array of cultural gems that should count in defining our region’s unique and richly bedecked character.

The imprints of our common ancestry and destiny are tattooed in the men and women from across East Africa present here today. I am certain that just as this golf challenge has succeeded for 15 straight years, we can and will achieve the ideals set for the East African Community.

In this event I see the signs of great success in the realisation of one of the most important goals of the East African community namely, free movement of people and goods across the entire region.

Back to golf. Sport is an employer, a healthy habit and exponent of the values of teamwork, discipline, integrity and the quest to achieve personal goals. All of us can readily testify that sports are also an enduring source of collective glory and global recognition.

With such loaded benefits, it is gratifying to see sporting accorded its rightful place in our society’s development agenda. Sports are an excellent way of branding people. Whole communities, nations and even regions have carved their identities through sporting.

Therefore, our sportsmen and women are rightfully our resources. We must treat them as such. Moreover, we should aspire to make sure that our respective nations and our region derive a concrete identity from sporting, golfing included.

An event of this magnitude and significance takes a lot of effort to organise. In recognition of this fact, I wish to pay special tribute to all the key institutions involved in organising this event and particularly the Kenya Golf Union. To others, who in their own way, have faithfully continued supporting this event and making it the annual attraction it is, your good work is never lost.

Let me also express my special gratitude to the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, Scotland, for their commitment in supporting golf in general and this event in particular. Your role is remarkable and praiseworthy.

I also thank local corporate sponsors, among them, Keroche Breweries and Mumias Sugar Company for their unfailing support. As we expand our horizons, I urge you to consider supporting more of this and similar events in the future in order to lift golfing standards in the country and also in the region.

As we extend our heartfelt regards to the Great Rift Valley Golf Resort as the host ground for this tournament, may I wish all the participants an enjoyable tournament. It is now my pleasure to declare the 15th East Africa Challenge officially open.

Thank you and God Bless You

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