NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 16 – Team Kenya will represent the African continent, alongside South Africa, at the 2026 Junior Golf World Cup following an outstanding performance at the 2026 All Africa Junior Team Championship (AAJTC).
The Kenyan trio of Mwathi Gicheru, Junaid Manji, and Tsevi Soni will compete at the championship from June 23-26 at the Chukyo Golf Club Ishino Course, Toyota City (Nagoya), Japan.
The team will be accompanied by Coach John Patrick Van Liefland and Junior Golf Foundation (JGF) president and Team Manager, James Ondigo.
The team will face the world’s leading junior golfers in a field featuring 12 countries in the boys’ division and 9 countries in the girls’ division.
Speaking ahead of the tournament, JGF President and Team Manager James Ondigo expressed confidence in the team’s ability to rise to the challenge of competing against the world’s best junior golfers.
“Qualifying for the Junior Golf World Cup is a tremendous achievement for our boys and a reflection of the progress junior golf continues to make in Kenya. Mwathi, Junaid, and Tsevi have worked extremely hard to earn this opportunity, and we are confident they will represent Kenya and Africa with pride, determination, and sportsmanship,” Ondigo said.
The qualification is a significant milestone for Kenyan junior golf and marks the country’s return to the Junior Golf World Cup after a 16-year absence.
The 2026 tournament will be the 32nd edition of the championship, which began in 1992.
Kenya last competed in 2008 with Nadeem Alibhai, Stefan Andersen, Greg Snow, and George Munyao, having previously participated in 2001 with Lee K. Njoroge, Rachit H. Patel, Rizwan K. Charania, and Njuguna M. Ngugi.
Kenya secured qualification for the 2026 Toyota Junior Golf World Cup after finishing runners-up to South Africa at the AAJTC in Nairobi, earning one of Africa’s two qualification slots. The girls’ team also impressed, finishing second behind South Africa.
Mwathi Gicheru led Kenya’s challenge with a tied fifth-place finish at +1, while Junaid Manji placed eighth at +4. Tsevi Soni (+9) and Yuvraj Rajput (+11) completed Kenya’s strong showing.
Kenya Golf Federation President Philip Ochola congratulated the players, officials, and the Junior Golf Foundation on securing Kenya’s return to the global championship after sixteen years.
“On behalf of the Kenya Golf Federation, I congratulate the players, the coaches and the entire Junior Golf Foundation on this outstanding achievement. Their qualification is a testament to the dedication of our young golfers and the strength of Kenya’s junior golf development pathway.”
“The Junior Golf World Cup offers a wonderful opportunity for Kenya to showcase its talent on the world stage, and we wish Team Kenya every success as they proudly represent both the nation and the African continent in Japan.”
As Team Kenya prepares to take on the world’s best in Japan, the nation will watch with pride as the young golfers seek to make their mark on one of junior golf’s biggest stages.
