Stanbic Entebbe MatchPlay Challenge Returns with more Flair
David GOMBE
The Stanbic Match Play Challenge is back for a third season, following the successful 2024 edition, which ended with the first-ever ladies’ pair of Lillian Koowe and Joyce Kisembo winning the ultimate prize of return air tickets to Dubai.
Plays starts on Saturday, February 8th at the famed Entebbe Golf Club, one of East Africa’s oldest courses. It begins with qualifying rounds, before golfers continue through seven months of competitive play. The grand finale will happen in August 2025.
Any player who can manage to hit a hole-in-one or score a par-3, a Suzuki Grand Vitara Hybrid Electric or Yamaha A7250 awaits them from CFAO Motors.
Speaking during a press conference recently, Arthur Kiwanuka, the Stanbic Head of Personal and Private Banking said, “Thank you to all the co-sponsors. We are really excited to partner with you again. We’ve been doing this for the last three years and this is going to be our third year. And the sponsors have come along with us, so it’s a big deal. They make it a big deal for the customers who then play for the tournament, or should I say the golfers. As we said in the past the reason why we continue sponsoring the tournament is because our customers say it’s important to them.”
Representatives from the other partners present included Uganda Airlines, CFAO Mobility, Uganda Breweries Limited (Johnnie Walker), DSTV For Business, Afrisafe Insurance and Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital.
He said, “We also have a great partner in Entebbe Golf Club and so we’re encouraged to continue sponsoring for that reason. It’s going to be exciting this year with the addition of the Corporate Social Responsibility. We thought about how we can help the community? How can we help the hospital? It’s not just about having fun but also giving back. It aligns with our values as a brand and it also adds a great experience to the hospital itself.”
Sserwano Walusimbi, the Entebbe Golf Club Captain said, “We are very thankful to the partnership that we’ve had with Stanbic Bank. They took over the Stanbic Entebbe Match Play Challenge and they’ve really owned it and loved it, and the golfers have loved it as well. This year we plan to have a better competition than ever before. We are also planning that every round in the series raises some money.”
Dr. John Bosco Nsubuga, the Director of Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital said, “There is a very good collation between sports and health. Entebbe Referral Hospital is honoured to partner with Entebbe Club for a good cause of improving health.”
He said, “Entebbe Referral Hospital is one of the 17 National referral hospitals with 4.3 million people served in the districts of Wakiso, Kampala, Mpigi, Kalangala and Mukono. There is need to acquire more incubators (infant baby warmers) and increase on the number of maternal beds. We also need to further improve upon surgical services offered.”
The 2025 edition of the Stanbic Bank Matchplay Challenge is scheduled as follows:
*Qualifier: February 8, 2025
*Round 1: March 8, 2025
*Round 2: April 12, 2025
*Round 3: May 10, 2025
*Quarterfinals: June 14, 2025
*Semifinals: July 12, 2025
Finale: August 2, 2025