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The Uganda boys team went into Wednesday’s leg in third place but was overtaken by a surging Zimbabwe, which improved by nine strokes to move up to the second position, pushing Uganda and Egypt down.
As the All-Africa Junior Golf Team Championship entered its penultimate stage at the Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort, the Ugandan boys' team slipped down a position to fourth place, trailing behind Zimbabwe, Egypt, and South Africa.
However, despite the setback, team coach Flavia Namakula remained optimistic and urged both the boys and girls teams to fight till the end.
"We still have a chance and we shall fight on till the end," Namakula said, showing her unwavering belief in her team's abilities.
She recognized that there were three places up for grabs for the top two boys' teams and the top girls' team, who will have the opportunity to represent the continent at the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup in Japan later in the year.
The Uganda boys team went into Wednesday’s leg in third place but was overtaken by a surging Zimbabwe, which improved by nine strokes to move up to the second position, pushing Uganda and Egypt down.
Juma Abiti was the only Ugandan player who improved his score in the third round, carding a four-over 76, which was two strokes better than his previous round.
Abiti managed two birdies on the par-5 holes, but bogeyed holes 4, 12, 13, and 14, finishing with a four-over 76.
Abdu Kakeeto and Reagan Akena, the other scoring Ugandan players, performed below expectations with scores of 81 and 85 respectively, resulting in Uganda carding three more strokes than their previous round.
Despite the setback, Kakeeto found consolation by winning the longest drive competition, which was contested by two participants from each participating country. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe's Miriam Masiya claimed the ladies' crown in the competition.
With only five strokes separating Uganda from both Zimbabwe and Egypt, the team remains hopeful of redeeming themselves in the final round to secure the second spot and qualify for the Toyota World Cup in Japan later this year.
The competition offers two spots for the top two boys' teams and the top girls' team to represent the continent at the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup in Japan.
The Ugandan girls' team also faced challenges in returning decent scores, remaining in fourth place behind South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Kenya, who hold the top three positions respectively.
Winnie Musuya's 86 and Frista Birabwa's 91 were the scores that counted for Uganda in the third round.
Other girls from Tunisia, Egypt, Zambia, Malawi, Botswana, and Tanzania also struggled to tame the undulating greens of the Serena course.
South Africa's trio of Jack Buchanan, Amilkar Bhana, and Michael Wallace displayed a classy performance, with each player returning a uniform two-under 70, maintaining their lead in the championship with 72 strokes.
In the girls' contest, Jasmine Furstenburg, Kyra Van Kan, and Zane Kleynhans continued to dominate the leaderboard, holding the top three positions and returning scores of 75 and 76 each, leading by a massive 32 strokes ahead of second-placed Zimbabwe, with Kenya in third place.
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