Pabari plays it cool to lead team to victory at KCB Golf Series in Kisumu

KCB Group Human Resources Director Japheth Achola flanked by Dr. Mathew Owili, Deputy Governor of Kisumu County joins the winning team Jiten Pabari, Amrish Patel, Ramesh Karia Prashant Thakrar, the Overall Winners of the15th leg of the KCB East Africa Golf Tour at the Nyanza Golf. [Maarufu Mohamed, Standard]

Jiten Pabari played it cool to lead his team of Amrish Patel, Ramesh Karia and Prashant Thakrar to victory in the 15th leg of the KCB East Africa Golf Tour played at the par 70 Nyanza Golf Club in Kisumu County over the weekend.

The team returned a combined score of 115 points to be named the overall team winners in the day long tournament supported by Kenya Commercial Bank and graced by 130 top amateur golfers from around the Country.

"I am a Golfer here at Nyanza Golf Club and I have played golf for 35 years. We are excited to win and we are happy to represent Nyanza at the Nairobi finals. We were quite relaxed today and decided to play our natural golf. We were motivated, that is why we emerged victorious. We will start preparing well in advance for the grand finale and we look forward to winning again because this club requires enormous support, "said Pabari.

The team of Griffins Owino, Joyce Osike, Tabitha Ojwang and Christine Riaroh who bagged the Tour's overall crown last year, emerged second garnering 111 points with Osike, an ardent golfer, who was on her best form returning 41 stable ford points to be crowned the overall winner of the day and Amrish Patel on the other hand was the man winner after returning 39 points.

In the ladies' category that was closely contested, Elizabeth Akinyi was named the winner with 40 points demonstrating her skills with hard work while Benjamin Koyier scooped the guest winner award with 39 points as Allan Kirui won the staff category with 33 points.

In the longest drive category, Dr. Rosemary Obara bagged it in the ladies' section while Deve Karia clinched it in the men's category.

KCB Bank Kenya Director of Corporate Banking John Okulo said, "Currently, through the series, we have reached 1500 participants and over 1000 juniors. Our aim is to interact with 3000 golfers across the East African region namely Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, and Rwanda. We aim to make the sport accessible to all and elevate it to an elite level."

KCB also hosted a juniors' clinic at the same venue in a bid to nurture the next generation of Golfers and a tree planting exercise aimed at strengthening environment conservation efforts in line with the Bank's sustainability agenda.

The next leg of the KCB East Africa Golf Tour will be held at Nanyuki on September 7.