By FELIX MALUNGA –
APPALLED by perpetual poor results being churned out by local professional golfers, the Sports Council of Zambia (SCZ) has decided to partner with its affiliate, the Zambia Golf Union (ZGU) to help change the fortunes for the players.
With a sponsorship of K100,000 already secured from Ferrimans Transport, SCZ and ZGU have lined up a series of tournaments to help prepare the local players before the prestigious Mopani Copper Mines Zambia Open Championship in Kitwe next month.
SCZ marketing and fundraising chairperson, Smart Mwitwa said Zambian professional golfers had been disadvantaged when participating in some national and international events due to the lack of proper sponsorship and exposure.
Mwitwa said in a Press statement in Lusaka yesterday that the local players participated in only a few events each year, thereby dampening their chances of ever winning the Zambia Open.
He said currently, it was difficult to expect a Zambian professional to win any Sunshine Tour event, hence the need for SCZ to partner with the corporate world and help the players.
Mwitwa said this initiative would start with the hosting of a corporate lunch by Vice-President, Guy Scott’s wife, Charlotte at Government House tomorrow.
He paid tribute Scott for accepting the invitation to grace the luncheon at short notice, saying this had showed the love she had for the development of Zambian sport.
Mwitwa said SCZ wanted to sensitize the corporate world on the need to invest in local professional golfers for them to begin attaining good results.
After the luncheon, SCZ will stage a Pro-Am at Lusaka Golf Club on April 22 where corporate firms are expected to sponsor teams of four each.
Each team will include at least a professional golfer.
Mwitwa also said SCZ would maintain the partnership with the professionals up to their participation in the Mopani Zambia Open Championship in Kitwe next month and also the Zambia Sugar Open slated for Lusaka in June.
SCZ had vowed not to stop supporting the players until they were fully prepared materially, psychologically and morally for international events.
The SCZ marketing and fundraising chairperson added that if a Zambian would win this year’s Mopani Zambia Open and Zambia Sugar events, it would be a befitting gift to the nation that would be turning 50 this year.