By SHAMAOMA MUSONDA –
THE 19th edition of the All-Africa Junior Golf Challenge tees off today at the Chainama Hills Golf Club in Lusaka with Peter Munyinga-led Zambian side eyeing the elusive title.
Eleven other countries are in on the duel with defending champions South Africa intent on maintaining their dominance in the African game of this four day stroke play competition.
Countries taking part are South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Malawi, Mauritius, Kenya, Uganda, Tunisia, the Reunion Islands and Swaziland with only scores from the best three players counting.
Zambia Junior Golf Association (ZJGA) director Aloysius Phiri, in an interview yesterday, expressed confidence about the team’s chances of winning the tournament saying the players have been widely exposed and were playing at a high level.
“We expect nothing less than a win, we have done everything for the team and they have done well also. Even the coach (Patrick Mwendapole) has been told to deliver us the title,” Phiri said.
Whereas Phiri quipped on the need to finish tops, the more realistic target is to finish second and hope for a better position in the coming years looking at the levels of investment South Africa has pumped into the sport.
It is no wonder South Africa have always won this tournament and last year took it with a 58-shot gap over second placed Zimbabwe.
At that same tournament held in Mauritius, Zambia finished third, the first time ever to get onto the podium, and having tasted the sweet of success, the hosts wants to achieve more.
That performance saw Zambia winning the triangular junior championship held in Lusaka relegating bitter rivals Zimbabwe into second place. And the Mwendapole coached boys believe they can pip Zimbabwe to the second position in the African championship.
The team has team Munyinya, enterprising Gabriel Chibale, Kelvin Chibuye and Charles Shalubobya, all members of Triangular championship winning side and on standby is Muvwanji Simukoko.
But these four will be hoping to follow Phiri’s challenge of winning and can take courage and overcome the four South African players in Hennie du Plessis, Jovan Rebula, Altin van der Merwe and Ekurhuleni’s Kyle McClatchie.
The draws saw the top four countries, Uganda included, going out in the first tee set for 08:00hors and will see Munyinya up against Rebula among others with Chibale having to contend McClatchie while Chibuye has Hernie Du Plessis and Shalubobya playing van der Merwe.
Tournament organising committee member Stanley Chipeta thanked the several sponsors that have come on board to finance the event.
These include Zamtel, Mopani Copper Mines, Zambia Sugar, Pepsi, Zambian Breweries, BSI Steel, KPMG, Stanbic Bank, Lafarge, Nico Insurance, Cresta Hotel, Keegy, Zambia Army, Zambia National Sservice, Fastjet, NFCA, Banc ABC and IDC.
