Katogo Invitational Series sets new 19th Hole pace at Entebbe Club
The Entebbe Club witnessed a night to remember on Saturday, April 29th, as the Katogo Invitational golf tourney welcomed their new sponsors, I&M Bank Uganda, with an exhilarating performance by the Janzi Band. The all-boy band gave an impressive five-hour-long performance that set the pace for the 19th Hole Experience at the Entebbe Club for the year 2023.
After a challenging yet thrilling day on the course, members of Uganda's oldest golf club were treated to a sumptuous dinner before being taken on a musical journey by Janzi Band. The band had guests dancing and singing 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, the I&M Bank Uganda acting Managing Director, Sam Ntulume, emphasized the bank's commitment to supporting the game of golf, because of the role it plays in environmental conservation and bettering the community. He also revealed the bank's dream of having a golf tournament that would put them on the map both locally and internationally.
"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. We hope to achieve this goal 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 of you to continue with the sport and 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. He welcomed the Managing Director of I&M Bank, Sam Ntulume, and all the staff and thanked them for sponsoring the Katogo Invitational Series and Entebbe Club. "I want to welcome the Managing Director of I&M Bank, Sam Ntulume, and all your staff, thank you for taking 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. The tourney is categorised into four events – Daytona, held in the first quarter, and Call Your Shots, the mode of play on Saturday.
Hannington Mpima, the Katogo captain expressed gratitude to Entebbe Club and I&M Bank, for their support and commitment to see the tourney through. "The Katogo series is special, from the organization to the format 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, members of the Katogo cut a 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. It is sure to bring more excitement, more sponsors, and more recognition to the Entebbe Club and the Katogo Invitational Golf Tourney.