Golf team to compete in continental championship

Rwanda has confirmed its participation in this year’s Africa Amateur Men’s Golf Team Championship (AAGTC) which will be held in Kenya at Limuru Country Club from October 15-18. According to the Rwanda Golf Union secretary general, Dr. Davis Kashaka, it is going to be the first time that Rwanda participates in the bi-annual continental tournament since 2007 when it was staged in Egypt. “Players are going to start training this week and our target will be at least to finish in the top four or five countries,” Kashaka told Times Sport on Monday. Rwanda finished on the 6th position in 2007. Rwanda will be represented by four players namely; Aphrodis Nyirinkwaya, Aloys Nsabimana, Jules Dusabe and Celestin Habineza. He added that, “We are working hard to get the legal status by mid-September and so far we are done with almost 70% of what is required by the Ministry of Sports and Culture to facilitate the team for this tournament.” Fifteen countries have so far confirmed their entries and these include; the hosts Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mauritius, Swaziland, Tunisia, Ethiopia, Egypt, Rwanda, Nigeria and Ivory Coast. AAGTC was first inaugurated in 2001 in South Africa with the main intention of motivating players and also attract more potential golfers all over Africa and beyond. The AAGTC is played in Eisenhower Format where each team consists of four players, but only the best three scores per round count toward the team total. The country with the lowest gross score at the end of the championship will be crowned the champions and there is also a prize for the overall individual winner. Entries are only open to any amateur with an official handicap, and are a member of a Golf Club affiliated to a Union recognized by the African Golf Confederation. The competition is played over 72 holes stroke-play format.