Uganda finishes fifth at the All-Africa Junior Golf Team Championships
Mayende, Rugumambaju, and Otukei were Uganda’s best scorers with totals of 241 and 243, in 21st, 22nd, and 23rd positions in the individual standings.
The Ugandan team of four boys and three girls pose with Coach Flavia Namakula and team manager Paul Habyarimana in Tunis. Courtesy photo
Michael Nsubuga
Sports journalist @New Vision
After finishing fifth at the All-Africa Junior Team Championship for the U-18s in Tunisia, the Uganda National Junior Golf Team realised that they still have a long way to go before they can compete with Africa's best.
The Ugandan boys' team, consisting of John Paul Rugumambaju, Anthony Otukei, Shaka Kariisa, and Peter Mayende, and the girls' team, consisting of Keisha Wiltshire Kagoro, Rachael Laura Natukunda, and Elizabeth Danelle Kawalya, traveled to Tunisia with the goal of finishing at least second in their respective divisions and qualifying for this year's Toyota Junior Golf World Cup in Japan.
However, the two teams fell short, with the boys finishing fifth out of twelve teams and the girls placing eighth out of nine. The best three and best two scores, respectively, were considered per round, respectively, in the 54-hole competition.
Mayende, Rugumambaju, and Otukei were Uganda’s best scorers with totals of 241 and 243, in 21st, 22nd, and 23rd positions in the individual standings. Kariisa finished 29th out of 47, while Kagoro, Natukunda, and Kawalya finished 18th, 20th, and 23rd out of 26 golfers from nine countries.
South Africa and Morocco, headed by Johannes de Bruin and Sawssane Melhli, won the boys and girls titles, respectively, with individual scores of 218 and 228 gross. Alexandre El Khomri (220) and Johndre Ludick (221) were the other scorers for South Africa, just like Noha Ghadi and Sophia Zbri for the Moroccan girls.
Final leaderboard
Boys
South Africa 219 223 215 657
Morocco 226 218 218 662
Zimbabwe 228 229 237 694
Mauritius 237 231 247 715
Uganda 253 234 229 716
Egypt 231 248 237 716
Kenya 238 236 245 719
Tunisia 241 246 235 722
Namibia 252 233 244 729
Zambia 255 238 239 732
Botswana 270 256 248 744
Ivory Coast 283 269 270 822
Girls
Morocco 140 149 153 452
South Africa 160 151 149 460
Tunisia 150 161 163 474
Zimbabwe 168 154 155 477
Kenya 158 163 158 479
Egypt 169 157 172 498
Botswana 167 172 176 515
Uganda 176 173 169 518
Mauritius 187 177 179 543
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