Kamya expects team to fire as AAGTC tees off in Limuru
Otile and caddie Douglas Mugisha strategise during the Zone VI in April. photo by E. CHICCO
What you need to know:
Golf. The country with the lowest score at the end will be crowned champions while the player with lowest aggregate will be Africa’s No.1
Kampala.
Amos Kamya, Uganda’s coach, says his team is not in Nairobi to make up numbers and says ‘we will be firing’ when the eighth African Amateur Golf Teams Championship (AAGTC) tees off at the par-71 Limuru Country Club in Kiambu, Nairobi.
But if history is anything to go by, firing is one thing Uganda have never done really. During the last meeting at Royal Swazi Sun Country Club in 2013, Uganda flirted with the wooden spoon before finishing eighth out 10 nations.
Kamya, though, whose near-perfect record as national coach needs no exaggeration, believes there will be a change of fortunes for the national team in the biennial showpiece.
“We didn’t come here (Nairobi) to waste time. We are going for the win,” said the knowledgeable tactician, a product of the Tygerberg Golf School in Cape Town – South Africa, after yesterday’s official practice round.
“We have been here for six days and had four practice rounds. I expect the guys to fire. My advice to the guys has been simple. I have told them to avoid playing the big names but concentrate on managing their rounds with superior course management skills.” During yesterday’s round, double Uganda Open champion Ronald Otile illuminated with a round of 74, captain Adolf Muhumuza fired 76, Ronald Bukenya returned 77 whereas national junior captain Daniel Baguma managed 78.
Team manager Oscar Semawere who joined the five-man contingent on Saturday said the mood in camp is good and the players didn’t need extra motivation.
“We are the Africa Zone VI champions and that is motivation enough,” said Semawere, who is also the captain of Entebbe Golf Club.
“Winning this event or even just doing well enough with a top four or three finish will help us enhance our reputation as we prepare for our East African Challenge Trophy defence in Rwanda next month.”
There are 15 countries in the fray for this edition; five more than two years ago with Senegal and Tunisia making debuts whereas Ivory Coast and Egypt are returning after a four-year sabbatical. Rwanda withdrew at the 11th hour. “This is proof that golf in the continent is growing fast,” said African Golf Confederation (AGC) vice-president Johnson Omolo.
“This is also a testimony that junior golf programs are being given special attention. Now we call upon governments and corporate companies to support the development of golf in their respective countries.”
The championship will be contested over four rounds of stroke play and the best three scores per round will count towards the team total.
AFRICAN AMATEUR GOLF TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Former winners Hosts
2001: South Africa Swaziland
2003: South Africa Botswana
2005: South Africa Uganda
2007: South Africa Namibia
2009: South Africa Egypt
2011: South Africa South Africa
2013: South Africa Swaziland
