By PHILLIP ORWA
Akshay Chandaria and Rachel Ndei emerged as the overall winners at the ninth leg of the 2026 NCBA Golf Series held at Sigona Golf Club on Saturday, beating a field of more than 260 golfers in one of the most competitive qualifiers of the season.
Playing off handicap one, Chandaria returned 76 gross to clinch the Overall Gross Men Winner title, claiming top honours that secured him qualification to the season-ending Grand Finale at Karen Country Club later this year.
In the ladies’ category, Rachel Ndei carded 90 gross to emerge as Overall Gross Lady Winner and also booked her place at the Grand Finale.
The men’s runner-up prize went to Adam Tayebjee, who returned 77 gross, while M.N. Njoroge also posted 77 gross to finish third after countback.
In the ladies’ division, Jane Njau finished as Gross Lady Runner-Up with 91 gross, narrowly behind Ndei in a closely contested category.
The handicap divisions also produced spirited performances, with G.S. Phull winning the Division Two Men title with 39 points, while Vivian Kosgei claimed the Division Two Lady prize after returning 32 points. Joy Bhatt topped Division Three with 37 points.
In the junior category, promising youngster Hetansh Shah impressed with 80 gross to emerge as winner, continuing the strong junior presence seen across this year’s NCBA Golf Series calendar.
Speaking during the prize-giving ceremony, Rose Mburu, NCBA ABC Place Branch Manager, reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to growing golf across all levels in Kenya.
“We are delighted to witness another successful and highly competitive leg of the NCBA Golf Series here at Sigona Golf Club. The quality of play today reflects the continued growth of golf in Kenya. Through this series, our goal remains to create inclusive platforms that bring together golfers, strengthen club communities, and support the development of talent across the country. We congratulate all the winners and thank Sigona Golf Club for hosting an excellent event,” she said.
Following the event, the top performers from Sigona now join the growing list of qualifiers who will compete at the NCBA Golf Series Grand Finale scheduled for November 28, 2026, at Karen Country Club.
They include: Akshay Chandaria (Overall Gross Men), Rachel Ndei (Overall Gross Lady), Adam Tayebjee (Gross Men Runner-Up), Jane Njau (Gross Lady Runner-Up), M.N. Njoroge (Third Overall), Duncan Sifuna (Fourth Overall), and Hetansh Shah (Junior Winner).
