adminAugustine Hwata Sports Reporter
IT’S all systems go for the Three Nations Golf Challenge Tournament teeing off at the Elephant Hills Club in Victoria Falls this morning.
Hosts Zimbabwe, who are fielding some of their finest junior players, arrived in the resort town yesterday.Brian Maphosa, the Zimbabwe Junior Golf Association president, said the main event will run from tomorrow until Friday and he is confident that the locals will put up a brave fight.
“We are excited and we look forward to some challenging golf. We look forward to the tournament growing further to being the premier junior tournament on the continent.
“The boys are all fired up and ready to win trophy,” said Maphosa.
The Zimbabwe team that arrived in the resort town yesterday featured Travis Smith, Stuart Krog, Mbongeni Maphosa (Captain), Jack Allard, Kiren Vincent and Shaahid Mohamed.
Roger Baylis is coach while Kyle Basson is the team manager.
Maphosa said the ZJGA are hosting the inaugural tournament for an event meant to give a platform to the top junior players from Zimbabwe,
Kenya and Namibia to develop their talents at international level.
“There is very little else going on outside South Africa on this continent to give our junior golfers the competition they need to stay at the top of their game.
“While Zimbabwe has been competing in the Tri- Nations tournament against Zambia and Malawi, Zimbabwe has now categorised this as a developmental tournament, and what has been lacking was competitive golf for our top players that they can use for preparing.
“So this should be an annual event which will be hosted on a rotational basis between the three countries,” said Maphosa. The Kenyan team, made up of Daniel Nduva, Tahir Mohamed, Mathew Wahome, Kush Mediratta, Adel Balala and John Mburu, arrived in the resort town yesterday.
Taufiq Balala and Charles Farrar are the officials for the East Africans.
Eddy Angula is leading the Namibian contingent that has Brendan Britten, Stefanus Bonifatius, Niel Theron, Gabriel Shikodi, Kasumo Paulino and Zillan du Pisani.
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