Final results:

Uganda                      18.6 points

Kenya                          17.5

Rwanda                      14.5

Tanzania                    7

Ethiopia                      2.5

Rwanda national golf team failed in their bid to win their first East Africa Challenge title after defending champions Uganda successfully defended the trophy with a total of 18.5 points over the weekend at the Par-72 Kigali Golf Course.

Uganda, won the three-day regional tournament, one point ahead of second-placed Kenya while hosts Rwanda, finished in third position, as it was last year in Uganda, with a record 14.5 points.

Tanzania, winners of the inaugural edition on home soil in 2009, ended this year’s edition in fourth place with seven points whereas Ethiopia finished last with 2.5 points.

The eight-man Rwanda team, led by captain Jules Dusabe Mutesa, came into this year’s event seeking to win the tournament for the first time, but things didn’t go as according to plan.

"To win this tournament, the whole team needs to perform well, which we failed to do especially on the first day. I tried my best along with some of the team members (Emmanuel Rutayisire, Leonard Nkurunziza, Afrodis Nyirinkwaya and Celestin Nsanzuwere) but the others didn’t match our effort,” Mutesa told Times Sport.

He added, "We lost this tournament on the first day after falling five points behind Uganda, and despite good performances in the next two days, it was too little too late.”

The winners Uganda scored 11 of their 18.5 points from winning singles match-ups, 3.5 points from Foursomes and four points in 4-ball-better-ball (4BBB).

Hosts Rwanda, registered 9.5 of their total from singles match-ups, 2 from Foursomes and 4 from 4BBB while Kenya had 13 points from singles and 2.5 from Foursomes as well as 2 points in 4BBB.

Tanzania, who took fourth place with a total of seven points, garnered 5 of them in singles and 1 point each from Foursomes and 4BBB respectively, while Ethiopia, hosts for next year’s edition, scored 1.5 in singles, 1 point in Foursomes and failed to get even half a point in 4-ball-better-ball.