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Tunis, Tunisia | THE INDEPENDENT & GOLFRSA.COM | Uganda’s boys and girls teams are set for action in the 2025 All Africa Junior Team Championship that starts Thursday in Tunis.
Uganda’s boys team has Anthony Otukei, Peter Mayende, Shaka Kariisa and John Paul Rugumambaju for boys, while girls side features Rachael Laura Natukunda, Keisha Wiltshire Kagoro and Elizabeth Danelle Kawalya. Both teams will have an eye on qualification for the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup in Japan later this year.
At the flag off of the team last week in Kampala, Uganda Golf Union President Dr Jackson Were thanked the government of Uganda for funding the team’s expenses for the trip. “Thanks to government through NCS, the Union has adequately prepared for the Tunis competition. We are confident that our boys and girls will not let us down.”
The top two teams from the championship will earn qualification for the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup, with South Africa yet again favourites to book a place. Uganda has featured there twice in recent years.
South Africa has a proud legacy in the prestigious All Africa Junior Team Championship, taking place at The Residence Golf Club in Tunisia from April 24 to 27. The boys’ team boasts an unbroken streak of 17 titles, while the girls’ team remains undefeated since the inception of the girls’ competition in 2017.
This year’s South Africa boys’ team features Dewan de Bruin, Roelof Craig, Johndre Ludick, and newcomer Marno Lange. They will go head-to-head with junior golfers from 13 other African countries. Representing South Africa in the girls’ division are Kesha Louw, Lisa Coetzer, and debutant Casey Twidale, competing against seven other nations.
Situated just outside Tunis, The Residence Golf Club is renowned as one of North Africa’s premier golf venues. Designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones II, the course is flanked by a nature reserve and saltwater lake on one side, and the Mediterranean Sea on the other—promising a scenic yet demanding challenge for players of all skill levels.
GolfRSA CEO Grant Hepburn expressed confidence in the team’s readiness and potential for success.
“The All Africa Junior Team Championship plays a pivotal role in the growth of junior golf, both in South Africa and across the continent,” Hepburn said. “It’s a platform for emerging talent to shine and opens the door to future international competition.”
“All seven players are enrolled in our High Performance National Squad and have shown great promise. We’re proud to give them this opportunity and have no doubt they will represent South Africa with pride. We wish them every success in Tunisia.”
Who is who on Uganda’s team?
Shaka Kariisa will be one of the players to watch on the team heading to Tunisia
For quite some time, Shaka Kariisa’s budding potential has been a public secret. Now, it is an official secret. The South Africa-based teenager, who turns 16 in early July, is part of Uganda’s team flagged off today. He will joint the team from his base just before departure.
Kariisa, whose playing index is +2.3, has seen his young career grow meteorically on the greens of Johannesburg, and his inclusion will no doubt enrich the quality of Team Uganda in the Tunisian capital.
Kariisa was called alongside Mayende, Otukei and 14-year-old Switzerland-based Rugumambaju. The latter plays at Golf & Country Club de Maison Blanche, which sits across the border of France but is under the Swiss and French federations.
While Kariisa is a UGC boy, he is currently swinging from the Balderstone Sports Institute in South Africa. Mayende and Otukei are children nurtured and raised at Lugazi Hills Golf & Country Club.
The presence of Mayende and Otukei in the team will bolster the team’s confidence considering that they were members of the national golf team that stunned Kenya at Mt Kipipiri Golf Resort to win the prestigious Victoria Cup last month.
Otukei’s playing index is 1.8 while Mayende and Rugumambaju are 4.3 and 2.3 respectively. Rugumambaju last year finished 30th in the Johnie Walker Uganda Amateur Golf Open as a 13year-old.
The girls on the team are Rachael Laura Natukunda (9.9 index), Elizabeth Danelle Kawalya (10.9) and Keisha Wiltshire Kagoro (1.8).
The Africa Golf Confederation, has meanwhile, confirmed that all is set for the 2025 All Africa Junior Team championship at the luxurious Residence Golf course in Tunis Tunisia.
“This is our first event of the year to be hosted in conjunction with our affiliate the Federation de golf of Tunisia. Twelve countries including the defending champions South Africa for the boys and girls category have confirmed participation,” said president of the Africa Golf Confederation Johnson Omollo.
“This event will also act a the qualifiers for the Toyota World Cup of Golf,” Omollo confirmed, adding that “our golf events also position Africa as a prestigious tourist destination and we are confident that through Golf Tourism will grow in Africa.”
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