Dubai: Ahmad Al Mosharrekh will spearhead the UAE challenge in the seventh Pan Arab Junior Golf Championship which gets under way at the Dar Esalam Royal Golf Club in Rabat, Morocco, today.
Fresh from competing in the British Open Junior Championship, Ahmad will team up with Abdul Wahed Qasim to contest the under-18 team championship, while his younger brother Hassan will vie for top honours in the under-15 individual category.
Abdulla Mosharrekh has been named the non-playing captain of the UAE team, sponsored by Al Shaheen Club of Emirates Bank. Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, secretary-general of the UAE Golf Association, will accompany the team as manager.
The UAE team made history of sorts last year when Khalid Yousuf and Abdulla Al Mosharrekh teamed up to guide the side to their maiden victory in the championship held in Damascus.
UAE national champion Khalid shot rounds of 71 and 73 at the Cham Golf and Country Club in the Syrian capital to win the individual title and also had a 36-hole gross aggregate of 144 one shot ahead of Morocco's Soufan Rushdi.
Khalid was expected to defend his title this year, but some personal commitments forced him to skip the championship.
The UAE will also be missing the services of Abdulla, who will not be featuring in the playing-squad since he has turned 19. He, however, will be in Rabat to cheer the team.
An upbeat Ahmad said: "Even now we are the favourites to retain the title," said the 15-year-old who plays off a four handicap. "Our coach Simon Mees [of Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club] has worked very hard to fine tune our game," said Ahmad.
Young Hassan Mosharrekh recently won a word of praise from Henrik Stenson when he featured with European Tour pros in the 2006 Dubai Desert Classic.
UAE's Hassan Al Mosharrekh will fight for top honours in the under-15 individual category at the Pan Arab Junior Golf Championship that gets under way in Rabat today.
