Tony Omuli follows his tee shot during a past tournament. He has been named in the national team for the East Africa Golf Challenge, which starts on Saturday.

By DONALD WELLINGTON

Regional champions Kenya have unveiled their squad for the 15^th East Africa Golf Challenge slated for October 28 to November 1 at the Great Rift Valley Golf Resort.

John Karichu (Limuru), Tony Omuli (Golf Park), Robinson Owiti (Vet Lab) and Daniel Nduva (Nyali), who are in Swaziland for the Africa Championship, are among nine players named for the annual event.

Justus Madoya (Great Rift Valley), William Odera (Kericho) and the Nyali trio of Tahir Mohamed, Mathew Wahome and Adel Balala.

“The team is a mix of juniors and senior players. By selecting juniors, it is a bold move and one of the steps aimed to developing junior golf in the country,” said Kenya Golf Union Chairman Francis Okwara yesterday. Okwara will double as the Tournament Director with Peter Warui and Anil Shah as coaches.

“The team has been selected as per the KGU Policy of Team Selection through GOTY Standings and Junior Golf Foundation’s Order Of Merit as at Karen Challenge played on September 7-8, 2013,” said Okwara.

He added, “This competition will go a long way in the firming up the East African community and to create the regional visibility. The competition will further provide a strategic direction on the development and promotion of Youth and Sports Tourism in the Country. It will also devise focused strategic and operational marketing plan for the country’s competitiveness and sustainability to increase its share of the global youth and sports tourism “niche” markets and make Kenya the preferred youth and sports tourism destination in the world.”

The East Africa Golf Challenge is a golf tournament involving members of East Africa Golf Federation. The competition was first played in 1999 in the Dar es Salaam Gymkhana Club then comprising only three countries – Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya.

It has grown steadily with the admission of Rwanda in 2004 and Burundi in 2005 to embrace the five East African Community states. This year’s event has attracted six countries namely Kenya (host), three-time winners Uganda, 2002 champions Tanzania, and Burundi, Rwanda and Ethiopia. Kenya have won the regional trophy 10 times.

“This year, we extended the invitation to other members of Zone V region and we got Ethiopia on board,” said Okwara.

The format involves four rounds of golf with singles, foursomes, four ball better ball and final singles. Each country has eight players and a reserve.

The championship takes place every year on a rotating basis among the five East Africa Community states. cheap air max 90 mens cheap air max 90 mens

Vet Lab’s Robinson Owiti in action at a past tournament. He is among the national team players for the continental event.

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