NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 3 – Nyali Golf and Country Club’s Adel Taufiq Balala has won the 104th NCBA Kenya Amateur Match Play Championship after defeating Sigona Golf Club’s Maahir Patel 3&2 in Sunday’s final at Limuru Country Club.
The victory earned Balala a place in the 2027 Magical Kenya Open and marked his second major Kenya Golf Union amateur title, having won the Kenya Amateur Strokeplay Championship in 2021.
The 27-year-old completed a demanding week that saw him play 125 holes over four days, overcoming some of the country’s top amateur golfers to lift one of Kenya’s most prestigious amateur trophies.
“It’s been a long week and a real test of mental endurance. Playing 125 holes over four days is not easy, but I enjoyed every moment of the challenge,” Balala said after the win.
“I came into this championship determined to make up for narrowly missing out in the NCBA Kenya Amateur Strokeplay Championship last weekend, and I’m delighted that everything came together. Winning the Match Play title and earning a place at the Magical Kenya Open makes all the hard work worthwhile.”
Balala’s toughest challenge came in Saturday’s semifinal against reigning Kenya Amateur Strokeplay champion Jay Sandhu of Muthaiga Golf Club.
The two were tied after 18 holes before Balala prevailed after two extra holes to book his place in the final.
He began his campaign with a 2&1 victory over Sylvester Etaan before beating Rafael Leming’ani 5&3 in the Round of 16 and Pranay Kapur 3&2 in the quarterfinals.
Sixteen-year-old Maahir Patel also impressed throughout the tournament, reaching the final after edging clubmate Junaid Ayaz Manji on the 21st hole in a tightly contested semifinal.
However, Balala maintained control in the final, sealing victory on the 16th hole.
“If you had told me on Thursday that I’d be playing in the final, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. My goal was simply to take it one match at a time, so to make it all the way has been a fantastic experience,” Patel said.
“Adel played a great final and deserved the win. As a 16-year-old, this gives me a lot of confidence, and I’ll take plenty of positives from the week.”
Kenya Golf Union Chairman Brian Akun congratulated Balala on his victory, saying the championship highlighted the growing quality and competitiveness of amateur golf in Kenya.
“Match play is the ultimate test of strategy, resilience and mental strength, and Adel demonstrated all these qualities on his way to a well-deserved victory,” Akun said.
Following the win, Balala moved up to sixth in the Kenya Amateur Golf Championship Order of Merit with 499 points from three events.
Despite finishing third at Limuru, Jay Sandhu remains top of the standings with 1,330 points, followed by John Kamais on 944 and Elvis Muigua on 689.
