Hosts and defending champions Royal Nairobi have included three Kenya team amateurs in their 10-man squad for this weekend’s Easter Tannahill Shield tournament.
The trio—Jay Sandhu, Bo Ciera and current Goty leader Kenneth Bollo—will spearhead Royal’s title defence at the event starting tomorrow through to Sunday.
Ciera and Sandhu were members of the Kenya team, which finished second at the Africa Amateur Golf Team Championship at Limuru Club last year.
Club captain Peter Serem while announcing the squad, said they have a solid outfit and all it takes to retain the country’s longest running sporting event.
Royal will also field their veteran player Muirithania Mugambi and two youngsters Joshua Ichangi (22) and Kimutai Kimosop (20).
“We have a blend of veteran players and youngsters and we should be the team to beat this year,” said Serem.
Serem said this year’s event will feature 9 teams following the relegation of Windsor, whose place has been taken by Railways.
Other teams include Sigona, Vet Lab multiple former champions Muthaiga, Karen, Mombasa Team, Limuru and Western Kenya.
The tournament has been sponsored by Multi Choice, Jamii Telecommunications, Kenya Nuclear Energy Board and Masomba.
Unlike the previous years, where activities were restricted to the three Easter days (Good Friday to Easter Sunday), this year, the Tannahill Shield will encompass a week long schedule of golf activities.
The Individual Junior Foursomes Easter, which starts today will feature 5 teams including Braeburn, Sigona, Vet Lab and Royal.
There will be a longest drive competition, which will also include professionals.
Tannahil Shield is Kenya’s longest running sporting event followed by Gossage Cup in football, Enterprise Cup in rugby and Safari Rally. The Tannahill tournament was inaugurated in February 1924. Enterprise Cup was first played in 1930, and is Kenya rugby’s oldest and longest running competition. The Safari Rally was first held from 1953 as the East African Coronation Safari in Kenya , Uganda and Tanganyika as a celebration of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II while Gossage Cup was held 37 times from 1926 until 1966, and later renamed East and Central African Senior Challenge Cup.
Muthaiga Team
1. Bhavnish Chandaria
2. Kavit Bhakoo
3. Imran Ratansi
4. Jeff Kubwa
5. Anthony Irungu
6. John Gitönga
7. Ashvin Gidoomal
8. A man Sodi
9. Kumar Shall
10. Neer Chandarana
Royal Team
1. Muirithania Mugambi
2. Bo Ciera
3. Jatinder S. Thethy
4. Joshua Ichangi
5. Jay Sandhu
6. Kenneth Bollo
7. Kevin Juma
8. Joseph Kogo
9. Kimutai Kimosop
10. Qurram Bhatti