Junior Golf Foundation (JGF) plans to introduce regional golf schools in all the six JGF regions across the country.
According to the JGF President Vincent Mukiri, the game plan from 2025 has changed, a need that has made the Foundation to look at a wide base of players away from the national team.
“What we will then see in another one or two years, is a national team made up of members from across the regions and not just Nairobi as is the case right now,” said Mukiri
“The Junior Golf Foundation tournaments are now averaging 140 players per tournament played across the country in a new spike of junior golfers embracing the sport,” he added.
Mukiri announced that the Foundation currently has a dedicated pipeline that ensures the numbers are constant in all the tournaments, despite the national junior golf team being in camp all year round and missing some of the events.
In a press statement sent to newsrooms, the JGF President announced that the Foundation’s best players are now being trained to feed the national team with players.
“We are then seeing our national team members starting to go out there to colleges and follow up collegiate golf,” he added.
Mukiri observed that the international market has started giving junior players in the country an opportunity in the sport, adding that the plan is to have a clear pathway to give the players a choice when they attain age 18 and 21.
“Where do they go to college for their golf, do they become pro golfers, or do they take up a career they love? The pathway is being refined continuously to ensure that no junior golfer gets lost,” he added.
Mukiri further noted that the Junior players would be channelled to colleges, universities, professional golf level and career golf level.
JGF is strengthening the grassroots training at the regions, which involves having coaches and teachers in all the regions.
“We are looking at what has been done in training in two ways; first, we are requiring the coaches to start giving us objective reports that include the people they are coaching, the skill level they are at, and what the coaches think in terms of their development,” expounded Mukiri.
He said JGK is also developing a way of measuring the progress of the junior players in terms of the grade they are in, and the skills they possess.
In the last tournament played at the Thika Sports Club, Peter Gathogo remained the man to beat in the boys 13-14 years’ category with a score of 77. Amar Shah finished second with a score of 78 while Kagame Handa and Tsorav Soni tied in third position with a score of 83.
In the Girls 11-12 years old category, Aria Dodhia played level par 72 to emerge the winner. Ashley Muyela, was one shot behind with a score of 73 with Chloe Chiuri finishing third with a score of 81.
Randy Turi won the Girls 13-14 years category with a score of 81.
By Bernadette Khaduli
