At the next edition of the Gambia International Championship next, set for commemorating the nation’s 46th Independent Championship, Four Nigerian professional golfers have been penciled to feature at the event, with a total prize purse of $30, 000 USD. The Nigerian team would be led by Gboyega Oyebanji, Nigeria’s best ranked, other players in the Gambian Open
line up include former Nigeria number one golfer, Umoh Edet, Gift Willy of Air Assault Golf Club and Basiru Bakare from Ikoyi Clubin Lagos. The event would the player’s first outing in 2011 as the home tour too has not hosted its first event. The event would be played at the Fajara Golf club over 36 holes from Monday February 14 to Tuesday February 15 for the professionals but the Nigerian players would also be involved in another Pro-Am event with amateur players on 17th where they will be picked at random to pair amateur players at the event. Coordinator of the event Sam Emehelu informs that the event would be Nigeria professional golfers’ first feature in the West Africa country and believes it compliments earlier effort of the Nigerian players at Gabon, Cameroon, Congo DR, South Africa and Morocco.
“The Nigerian golf is one of the most vibrant around and we have to sustain the tempo by engaging the best of our players in competitive events like the Gambian window has presented us” He also adds that there are efforts made to make sure the players feature in other International events that they participated in last year.
“This is a World Cup year in golf Nigeria should be part of the Afro-Asian qualifier later in August and I believe quality international oppositions can better prepare us, but in the absence of top quality European, Challenge or class of event, we should take every opportunity seriously” he concluded. The Gambian Open was postponed by one week and re-christened “Baby Mariam Jammeh Golf Tournament” in honour of a relation of the President of the country. The best player at the event is expected to pocket about $5, 000 USD.
No comments:
Post a Comment