Nairobi — Regional IV Golf Championships champions Kenya are confident of defending their title at next week's tournament in Addis Ababa despite the threat posed by Uganda who lost their crown in their home turf last year.

The captain of the national team, Dennis Maara, admitted their East African neighbours will be out for revenge in the Ethiopian capital but pointed out that this will not faze the Kenyans as they seek a second successive title.

"We are expecting very tough competition from Uganda... we took the trophy from them last year and we did it in great fashion and determination, in their home turf. So, going to Ethiopia, we expect a very different set up of course but the good thing is that the tour we have been playing (Kenya Amateur Golf Championships series) has allowed us to sharpen ourselves so in terms of who can beat us in Ethiopia...no one," Maara said.

The Kenyan team of Maara, John Lejirma, Adel Balala and Michael Karanga were in seventh heaven at the Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort in June last year, beating the host 3-0 to claim their maiden Regional IV Golf Championships title.

That glorious occasion notwithstanding, Maara believes it will be a different cup of tea for Kenya in Addis Ababa considering all teams will be eyeing the title that is in their custody.

"Of course when you are on top, you are always the team to beat. We have very high expectations of ourselves...last year we did not only do well in this tournament, we were third in Africa and also represented ourselves very well in South Africa during our preparations for the Kenya Open," Maara said.

At a personal level, the Winston Churchill Cup champion is chomping at the challenge of skippering the national team for the second time.

He admitted that the opportunity to wear the armband is a just reward for the many years of hard work he has put in his craft.

"It is a great responsibility to not only lead the team but also represent the nation. It is the greatest honour for any sportsperson...getting there has been hard work, playing golf for over 20 years to get to this stage. I thank God that we are here...I thank God that the game is growing," he said.

Other members of the team include Kenya Amateur Stroke Play champion Lejirma, Karanga and national junior champion Elvis Muigua.