Uganda’s junior golf team heads into the All Africa Junior Team Championship at the Windsor Golf & Country Club in confident mood, targeting a strong showing against the continent’s top sides and a place at the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup later this year.
The championship, played over a demanding 7,100-yard layout known for punishing errant shots, brings together 14 nations in a 54-hole stroke play format. Daily team scores will be decided by the best three boys and top two girls, placing a premium on consistency across the week.
Uganda’s squad is led by captain Peter Mayende, who arrives on the back of an impressive performance at the Victoria Cup in Entebbe. He anchors a boys’ team that includes Antony Otukei, Kariisa Shaka and Rugumambaju John Paul, while the girls’ side features Racheal Natukunda, Elizabeth Kawalya and Ndyabahika Keisha Kagoro. All seven players have prior experience at this level.
The team is guided by coach Flavia Namakula and managed by Paul Habyarimana, with sources within the camp indicating a positive atmosphere as preparations conclude in Nairobi.
Conditions are expected to add another layer of difficulty. Persistent rain over the past three days has left the course slick, and intermittent showers are forecast during the competition. With no caddies allowed, players will have to rely on their own course management on tight fairways and punishing rough.
Uganda faces strong opposition from established golf nations including South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Kenya and Ghana, alongside Botswana, Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritius, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The team’s campaign is supported by the National Council of Sports, Uganda Golf Union, The R&A and Kenya Airways. Uganda Golf Union president Jackson Were is expected to join the delegation in Nairobi, where he will also hold meetings with continental stakeholders.
With qualification for the global showpiece at stake, Uganda’s focus remains straightforward: limit mistakes, stay composed, and convert their experience into a competitive edge on one of Africa’s toughest junior stages.
