Junaid Manji, Belinda Wanjiru lead Kenya's charge for All-Africa title in Tunisia
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Reading Time: 3min | Mon. 21.04.25. | 14:34
Podium finishes offer the Kenyan sides a chance to qualify for the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup in Japan
Junior Strokeplay Championship winner Junaid Manji and Belinda Wanjiru headline Team Kenya’s squad set for the All-Africa Junior Team Championship (AAJTC) to be held from Tuesday, 22 to Sunday, 27 April in Tunisia.
Four boys and three girls were selected from the National Provisional Junior Golf Squad, which consisted of 12 Boys and 10 Girls, based on the squad training and ranking. They play a 54-hole tournament in the North African country.
The provisional squad has been in camp for the last 10 months, from May 2024 to February 2025, initially training every Tuesday and Thursday and later every Monday and Wednesday at the Windsor Golf Hotel & Country Club.
A final squad was selected on Thursday, 27 February, and went into training and course practice three days a week in preparation for the tournament.
The players also participated in the NCBA Kenya Junior Strokeplay Championship and the Kabete Junior Open tournaments, helping them with some tournament practice ahead of the AAJTC.
The boys' team will see Manji joined by Nathan Mwangi, Tsevi Soni, and Justin Ngeera, while Hazel Kuria and Audrey Gachora join Wanjiru in the girls’ team.
Under coach John Van Liefland and professional golfer C.J Wangai, the two sides will look to improve on their performance from last year in South Africa, where the girls’ team finished second out of eleven teams while the boys' side finished fourth out of 15 teams.
The performance in South Africa was a great improvement from 2023, where the girls finished third and the boys sixth. Podium finishes offer the Kenyan sides a chance to qualify for the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup in Japan.
Principal Secretary for Sports, Elijah Mwangi, while flagging off the team, said the event presents a gilt-edged opportunity for Kenyan juniors to showcase their skills at the highest level in Africa.
“This team is ready to fly the Kenyan flag high. Looking at the journey they have travelled to be here, we are looking at winners; victors who have transcended their journeys and as they impact many other juniors who will follow in their footsteps in the years to come,” Mwangi offered.
Meanwhile, Junior Golf Foundation president Vincent Mukiri is confident that with the intensive training, the objectives will be met.
“We have strategically set out a training plan for the national provisional junior golf squad that runs all year round.
We’ve also learnt from our previous experience and seek to be top of the continent. South Africa is a formidable contender, but we strongly believe that with the right training, we will achieve our goals,” Mukiri offered.
Boys’ Team
1. Junaid Manji – 17 Years – Sigona Golf Club
2. Nathan Mwangi – 16 Years – Karen Country Club
3. Tsevi Soni – 15 Years – Sigona Golf Club
4. Justin Ngeera – 14 Years - Vet Lab Sports Club
The Girls’ Team has;
1. Belinda Wanjiru – 15 Years - Vet Lab Sports Club
2. Hazel Kuria - 17 Years - Muthaiga Golf Club
3. Audrey Gachora - 15 Years - Muthaiga Golf Club
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