By Martin Odiete

True to her words, Evah Magala of Uganda on Sunday emerged champion of the 2019 IBB Ladies Golf Championship in Abuja.

The Ugandan had boasted during the press conference preceding the event that she was in Nigeria to take the topmost prize.

The three-day gross championship which is in its 21st edition teed off at the IBB International Golf and Country Club on Friday and ended on Sunday.

No fewer than 160 amateur lady golfers from seven countries, namely Sweden, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Botswana, Ghana and hosts Nigeria, started the tourney for top honours at the championship.

The tournament saw 45 lady golfers make the cut on Saturday after two days of play from Friday to qualify for Sunday’s final.

Magala played a gross of 244 over three days to emerge champion of the tournament for ladies in the handicap 0 to 28 category.

She was closely followed by Nigeria’s Rachael Danjuma who played a gross of 248, while compatriot Amina Wilfred finished third after playing a total gross score of 250.

In the best nett category for ladies with handicap 0 to 28, Sheila Ebunilo playing off handicap 22 emerged champion.

That was after she played a gross of 289 and returned a nett of 223 over three days.

She was closely followed by Fatima Ahmadu who played a gross of 290 and returned a nett of 224, while Lizzy Asomugha finished in third place in the category.

Magala later stated in an interview after she emerged champions that she was delighted to have won the title for the first time, after coming close to achieving the goal in 2018.

“I tried the first time last year and was top of the leaderboard for two days consecutively, but unfortunately I lost to Tanzania’s Angel Eaton in the final.

“This time around I decided to start slowly and see how I finish.

“I really enjoyed my finishing. It was good. The tour this time around was about maturity, as I waited for my opponents and capitalised on their mistakes.

“In golf, everyone’s always trying to capitalise on your mistakes and the final day is a day for you to catch up and that was exactly the strategy I employed,” she said.