Kenya wins the 2023 Umoja Trophy in Westgate memory tourney at Diani

Team ‘Expats” Captain Jonathan Evans in action.[Maarufu Mohamed,Standard].

‘Kenya’ emerged the overall winner of this year’s annual ‘Umoja’ golf tournament that ended at the Diani’s par 72 Diamond Leisure Golf Resort Club Course in South Coast of Mombasa on Sunday evening.

The two days’ event that started on Saturday played by Local Kenya Golfers against their Expatriates Colleagues was started in 2016 in memory of the Westgate attack where on 21 September 2013 four masked gunmen attacked the shopping mall, an upmarket mall in Nairobi Kenya.

‘Kenya’ claimed the ‘Umoja” trophy from the defending Champion the ‘Expats’ after collecting 12 points against 10 points from the competition played under formats of foursomes in Morning, four ball better ball in the first day and a single format in the final day.

The Kenya team comprised Captain Allan Habala, Hiten Kumar, Ken Ndede, George Mokaya, Amer Kalsi, Carol Mokaya, Eva Kariuki Pauline Nduva and Naomi Wambui.

Habala thanked his colleagues and the local expatriates for annually supporting the event and assured them that it will be strengthened to greater space so that it can accommodate more players.

“This event is in memory of our lost Kenyans, Expatriates, families, friends, and loved ones and we thank the founders. This is not about winning or losing but to bring change and unite us together and we shall support it to make it better,” said Habala.

The Expats team were Captain Jonathan Evans, Stan Kinsch, Denham Vickers, Randal Adams, Kerry Venturini, Vanda Harries, and Cheryl Bush.

During the time of the Westgate attack, the Club’s Captain Arty Round Turner was in Nairobi when the whole Country and the World were united in mourning the victims of the attack who were also of multiple nationalities.

Round Turner said the thought of a golf tournament that unites all members was born as Diani being a resort destination that attracts residents from all over the world.

“Umoja trophy was then born and it’s an annual event, very competitively played between Kenyans and resident Expatriates in a Format mirrors the Ryder Cup where Mitesh Ravji and Joe Carvalho who are also among the founders and were the first Umoja Cup Captains for each team, “said Round Turner.