Team Kenya left for Zambia on Monday well in time for the Region Zone Five tournament starting today at Nkana Golf Club in Kitwe, Zambia.
The event ends on Sunday.
The team, which had a feel of the training venue in Kitwe, during yesterday’s official practice comprises of Railways duo of Alfred Nandwa and Samuel Njoroge, Limuru amateur and former multiple Goty champion John Karichu and Edwin Mudanyi from Vetlab.
The team was accompanied by Kenya Golf Union (KGU) chairman Muchau Githiaka, vice chairman/tournament director Richard Wanjala and KGU head coach John Patrick van Liefland.
Other countries that will be participate in the event formerly known as the Zone VI Championship, include Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Uganda.
According to new rules introduced last year on the format of play,
the event remains exclusive for the Region 5 countries. However, Kenya, Mauritius and Uganda from non-region 5 have been invited and will field a team of 4 players each. Each member of Region 5 is eligible to front two teams of 4-balls while Mauritius, Uganda and Kenya will field only one team each. Kenya won the event once during the 2010 edition in Gaborone, Botswana.
The national team, selected from the Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (formerly Goty), is in high spirits and has been training immediately after the Kenya Open under the new coach.
“We are all set for action and it has always been a proud moment representing the country,” Mudanyi said in a message from Zambia.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe Golf Association have named their team comprising of the top eight leading amateurs and will be captained by Liberty Gumisa, with two players making their debut appearance at the bi-annual tournament.
According to The Herald online, Tatenda Makunde and Rasheed Mahomed will be making their debut appearance at the tournament, where they will have several seasoned players like David Amm, Never Milazi, Tonderai Masunga, Tafara Mpofu and Bekithemba Ndlovu.