Akope leads cast of hopeful Ugandans

Kampala.

At 35, sportsmen should literally be in the evening of their careers. Not in golf.

Many stars including Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Phil Mickelson, Darren Clarke, Gary Player and Ernie Else have won Majors and become legends well after 40.

Uganda Professional Golfers Association (UPGA) captain Deo Akope only makes 37 on October 10. And he remains every pundit’s pick to give the star-studded foreign legion a run for their monies when the 11th Tusker Malt Uganda Professionals Open tees off at the par-72 Uganda Golf Club (UGC) Kitante course today.

Akope, the winner in 2014, who has not played at his best since 2012 when he sustained a hip injury in a motor accident along Entebbe Road, says he is in better shape now. “It (injury) keeps coming back,” said Akope, pulling a grimace on his face as he touched problem area yesterday. “That’s why I didn’t play the Kenya Open last year. But I am good to go now.”

Akope aside, fellow Ugandan professionals have not done their reputations any justice in the tournament.

But Akope is quick to jump to their defence. “We have 30 professionals in Uganda now and at least 25 of them have registered. The cut is estimated at 30 players and the onus is on us to take a bigger portion of that into the final two days,” he said.

Funding woes
Funding has been the Ugandan professionals’ biggest undoing as evidenced by two-time Uganda Amateur Open champion Peter Ssendawula’s 11th hour rescue act by members of Entebbe Golf Club (EGC) over the weekend. “I have been practicing every day.

Although my relief came on Saturday night when members contributed for my entry fees. I will try not to disappoint my fans,” said Ssendawula. In Vincent ‘Araali’ Byamukama, Dennis Anguyo, Emmanuel Onito Opio, Phillip Kasozi and Brian Mwesigwa, Uganda is not short of talented players but the foreign legion cannot be underestimated, too.

Long-hitting Kenyan Dismas Indiza, who has won four of the 10 editions so far, titleist golf ball loyalist Madalitso Muthiya (Pro V1) of Zambia, also the defending champion, and South African Joshua Seale are expected to throw their weight around positively.
The top 10 amateurs from the Amateur Open earlier this month will also be in the fray although champion Ronald Otile, will be a no-show due to academic obligations at Golf School in South Africa.