Saturday, April 29th was a night to remember at the 72-par Entebbe Club, as the Katogo Invitational golf tourney officially welcomed their new sponsors- I&M Bank Uganda.
Janzi Band sent golfers to the dancefloor with an exhilarating five-hour-long performance, that many golfers think set a new pace for the 19th Hole Experience at the Entebbe Club, for the year 2023.
After a gruelling yet exciting day on the course, members of Uganda’s Oldest Golf Club were treated to a sumptuous dinner, before Janzi Band took them on a musical journey that got almost the entire congregation on their feet to showcase their dance skills.
The all boy-band had guests dance and sing along to some of Uganda’s trending hits, then to Jamaica- with some reggae jams, and then a mix of the biggest Afro jams, before winding up with some of the biggest local oldies jams.
The new tournament platinum sponsor- I&M Bank, spent the day and a better part of the evening engaging golfers about their range of services and products.
I&M Bank officials took the Entebbe Club members through some of their exclusive and exciting products like the newly launched offshore banking, and the advanced digital banking services.
Speaking at the event, I&M Bank Acting Managing Director- Sam Ntulume emphasized I&M Bank’s commitment to supporting the game of golf, because of the role it plays in environmental conservation and bettering the community.
“Our involvement with golf goes a long way. Our sister company in Kenya is well known for organising the biggest tournament in East Africa- the I&M Corporate Golf Tournament. This is a goal we hope to achieve one day, with our very own Katogo series. Our dream is to have a golf tournament that will put us on the map both locally and internationally,” he said.
“It’s important to remember that golf is not about winning or losing, and that’s the true value of good sportsmanship and integrity. I encourage each one of you to continue with the sport, and also encourage many others to join so that we grow the fraternity,” Ntulume added.
The Entebbe Club chairman- Eng. Jacob Byamukama expressed gratitude to I&M Bank, and the Katogo golf series organizers for their support towards the club.
“I want to welcome the MD of I&M Bank, Sam Ntulume, and all your staff, thank you for making the time, and thank you for sponsoring Katogo, and Entebbe Club. I want to thank the organisers of the Katogo golf series, you have really set the bar so high,” he said.
The Katogo Invitational series is a tournament born out of a group of members of the Entebbe club.
The series started as the revival of the 19th-hole experience at the Entebbe Club.
First held on January 14, the Katogo Invitational Golf Series is a contest categorised into four events – Daytona which was held in the first quarter, and Call Your Shots, which was the mode of play on Saturday.
Each player was required to announce the exact set of clubs they were to use per hole, and failure to use a club, or introduction of a new club meant an additional stroke to their scores on that particular hole.
Hannington Mpima, the Katogo Captain expressed gratitude to the Club and I&M Bank, for the support and commitment to see the tourney through.
“The Katogo series is special, right from the organization, to the format, and now to our sponsors; I&M Bank, you’re special.
We wanted a combination of scoring and fun, hence Katogo. I would like to recognize Mr Sam Ntulume, we go way back, and I’m glad you have patented this series with us,” he said.
The event saw outstanding golfers like MTN’s Joseph Bogera (winner Group A), Mr Kiddu (Group B), and their respective runners-up awarded trophies.
To welcome their new sponsor- I&M Bank Uganda on board, members of the Katogo cut the cake, and toasted to many more exciting series of the quarterly tournament.
The next Katogo tourney is slated for July and will be the ‘Me Too’ mode of play.