For close to half a decade, the home gallery has been used to celebrating success whenever Uganda hosts a continental golf showpiece. All worked well for this East Africa nation when Uganda hosted the 2014 East Africa Golf Challenge in Entebbe and the 2015 Africa Zone VI Championship at Kitante.
The national team then composed of players like Phillip Kasozi, Peter Sendawula and Deus Kitata, all whom have turned pro since. However, the new-look Uganda failed to utilize home advantage and lost out by two points to Kenya at the second edition of the Victoria Cup played at the par-71 course in Entebbe last weekend.
“We played good golf but Kenya were better than us,” Team Uganda coach Amos Kamya admitted. “We take all the blame. We are sorry for letting the nation down,” disappointed captain Becca Mwanja said after Uganda tallied 12 points from 26 matches. At the inaugural edition, Uganda lost to hosts Kenya by a point at the Muthaiga Golf Club in Nairobi.
Here, on home soil, the margin of defeat even grew bigger as the hosts blew hot and cold. Only teenager David Kamulindwa stood, collecting a total 3.5 points alongside partner Richard Baguma. The 16-year-old, a senior three student at Mpanga Secondary School from Fort Portal, was the nation’s only smile from the competition that Kenyan captain Alfred Nandwa and company dominated.
After that misery, Uganda now hopes they can apply the lessons learnt when they seek to win a fourth successive title at the East Africa Golf Challenge that tees-off in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania next month. “We did not prepare adequately,” Kamya said. “The team needed more time to work on the pairings. So we shall surely improve ahead of the Challenge,” added the man who has won this title in 2009, 2014, 2015 and 2016.
2017 VICTORIA GOLF CUPFINAL RESULTSKenya - 14 points
Uganda - 12 points
DAY TWO FOUR-BALL BETTER-BALLAlfred Nandwa & Samuel Njoroge (KEN) bt. Adolf Muhumuza & Ismail Muhamudu (UGA) 4/3
Jeff Kubwa & Denis Saikwa (KEN) bt. Herman Mutebi & Ronald Rugumayo (UGA) 1-up
David Kamulindwa & Richard Baguma (UGA) bt. Edwin Mudanyi & Mutahi Kibugu (KEN) 3/2
Mike Kisia & John Karichu (KEN) bt. Martin Ochaya & Emmanuel Ogwang (UGA) 2-up
DAY TWO FOURSOMESA.Nandwa & S.Njoroge (KEN) bt. A.Muhumuza & I.Muhamudu (UGA) 2-up
R.Rugumayo & H.Mutebi (UGA) bt. J.Kubwa & D.Saikwa (KEN) 4/3
B.Mwanja & E.Ogwang (UGA) bt. K.Bollo & M.Kibugu (KEN) 5/4
J.Karichu & M.Kisia (KEN) bt. D.Kamulindwa & R.Baguma (UGA) 3/1
DAY THREE SINGLES ROUND
- Kamulindwa (UGA) bt. A.Jamal (KEN) 2-up
A.Muhumuza (UGA) bt. K.Bollo (KEN) 5/4
R.Baguma (UGA) bt. J.Kubwa (KEN) 1-up
D.Saikwa (KEN) bt. B.Mwanja (UGA) 1-up
E.Mudanyi (KEN) bt. I.Muhamudu (UGA) 2-up
M.Kibugu (KEN) bt. E.Ogwang (UGA) 4/3
D.Kato (UGA) bt. M.Kisia (KEN) 3/2
S.Njoroge (KEN) bt. H.Mutebi (UGA) 3/2
A.Nandwa (KEN) bt. M.Ochaya (UGA) 5/4
R.Rugumayo (UGA) bt. J.Karichu (KEN) 3/2
This writer is a scribe with Daily Monitor Newspaper and, also a sports presenter with NBS Television and Radio One FM 90 in Kampala, Uganda. Follow him on Twitter: @AllanDarren and his Facebook Page: Darren Allan Kyeyune