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Team Kenya, a blend of seasoned champions and a rising star, departs for Antananarivo to defend its three-year dominance at the Africa Region Four Golf Championship, a key test of the nation's growing prowess in the sport.

NAIROBI – Kenya's elite amateur men's golf team departed for Antananarivo, Madagascar, on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, to compete in the Africa Region Four Golf Championship, aiming to secure a fourth consecutive title and reaffirm its dominance in East and Central African golf. The tournament, which runs from Tuesday, November 25, to Saturday, November 29, at the Golf du Rova Luxury Hotel, is a World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) registered event, drawing top talent from across the region and placing a significant spotlight on the development of amateur golf in Africa.
The four-man squad, managed by Kenya Golf Union (KGU) Chairman Chris Kinuthia and prepared by coach Ali Mohsin Khimji, features a formidable lineup of Kenya's best amateur talent. The team is captained by John Lejirmah, the 2022 Golfer of the Year, and includes Michael Karanga, the dominant 2023 Golfer of the Year, the in-form Elvis Muigua, and junior international Junaid Manji, who is making his senior national team debut. Manji replaces Adel Balala, who was part of the victorious 2024 squad.
Team Kenya enters the championship as the firm favourite, having clinched the title for the past three consecutive years. Their winning streak began in Uganda in 2022, continued in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 2023, and was solidified with a commanding victory at the Kigali Golf Resort and Villas in Rwanda in October 2024. In the 2024 edition, the Kenyan team, then comprising Karanga, Lejirmah, Muigua, and Balala, posted an impressive overall score of 841 gross, decisively beating regional rivals Uganda and Rwanda.
Michael Karanga was the standout individual performer in that tournament, finishing with a remarkable total score of 276 (-12) after a brilliant final round of 66, which was instrumental in fending off a strong challenge from the Ugandan team. This history of success has cemented Kenya's reputation as the regional powerhouse, a status the current team is under pressure to uphold.
The Kenyan contingent blends experience with youthful ambition, a strategy that reflects the Kenya Golf Union's focus on sustainable talent development.
The Africa Region Four Championship is a critical battleground for regional bragging rights and a measure of the sport's growth. Nine countries are expected to participate: hosts Madagascar, defending champions Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Mauritius, La Reunion, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Seychelles. The historic rivalry between Kenya and Uganda is expected to be a central feature of the competition. Uganda, who last won in 2019, has consistently finished second to Kenya and has sent a strong four-man team with the explicit goal of reclaiming the title.
The 54-hole stroke play tournament, where the best three scores per team count, tests both individual skill and team strategy. For Kenya, a fourth victory would not only extend their reign but also validate the country's investment in junior and amateur golf structures. Success at this WAGR-ranked event provides players with global visibility and is a key step in the pathway to professional golf. The performance of debutant Junaid Manji will be closely watched as a testament to the success of Kenya's junior development pipeline, which is increasingly seen as crucial for the long-term health of the sport in the region.
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