Seven Kenyan youngsters will take on opponents from the rest of the continent today in the opening round of All Africa Junior Team Golf Championship at Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club in Nairobi.
Although delayed by early morning rain, all the 14 competing teams which arrived at the weekend managed to sample the Windsor course in yesterday’s practice round of the tournament, which will run from March 24-26.
Tsevi Soni.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
Players will tee off in the opening round at 6.30 am. Speaking after Monday’s practice round, Kenya’s coach, Ali Khimji, said the country had selected the best team.
“Other than today’s official practice session, we have played a number of rounds on the course since last week, and we feel ready to battle it out with other countries. I have told the players to go to the course and give their best. The course is in great condition, but it’s tight,” coach Khimji said.
Bianca Ngecu.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
Kenya will be represented in the boys’ category by captain Junaid Manji, Yuvraj Rajput, Tsevi Soni, all from Sigona Golf Club, and Mwathi Gicheru from Royal Nairobi Golf Club. The four were also part of the national team which beat Uganda two weeks ago to win the Victoria Cup at Entebbe Golf Club in Uganda.
Youvraj Rajput.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
The girls’ team is made up of Windsor Golf Club player Kanana Muthomi, Vet Lab’s Bellinda Wanjiru, and Biance Ngecu from Muthaiga Golf Club. Team Captain Manji said the team’s preparation has been good this year.
Belinda Wanjiru.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
“We have been training together for several months in addition to playing together in Uganda. We appreciate that the Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club course is tough, but it will be the same for everybody. We are, however, looking forward to giving it our very best,’’ Manji said. He will tee off from the 10th tee, same as Soni and Yuvraj.
Meanwhile, defending champions South Africa, who are chasing a 19th title, were confident of a good outing.
“Our expectation is to win the title, though I must say the competition is getting tougher every year. Other African countries have been working hard to improve their performances. I like the confidence each country has,” South Africa’s team leader Thinus Labuschagne said.
Kanana Muthomi.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
South Africa is banking on a line-up that has two of the most experienced players in the tournament, namely Dewan de Bruin and Roelf Craig, who competed in last year’s event in Tunisia.
“The two have been in the national squad since they were aged 13 and 14, and they are now 17 and 18 respectively, and are very mature. Bruin broke the course at Royal Johannesburg in the 2026 Africa Amateur Championship, where he shot 12 under par 60. He has been on form since then, and I have a lot of confidence in him,” Labuschagne said.
“I have seen the course here, it’s a tight one, but we are not worried about it as we have played much tougher courses before,” he added.
Junaid Manji.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
Besides the government, the event has received the support from corporates such as NCBA, Kenya Airways, Brookside, AAR Insurance, KPC, Nation Media Group, Avenue Healthcare and World Amateur Golf Ranking, among others.
Mwathi Gacheru.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo| Nation Media Group
This year, the tournament, which was launched by Sports PS Elijah Mwangi and attended by Africa Golf Confederation President Johnson Omollo, Golf Kenya President Philip Ocholla, has attracted 14 countries, namely Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Cote D’Ivoire, Namibia, Ghana, Mauritius, Morocco, Egypt, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Tunisia, Botswana and Zambia.
