By FELIX MALUNGA –

THE Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC) yesterday pumped in more than K142,000 into next month’s Mopani Copper Mines Zambia Open Golf Championship, becoming the latest co-sponsor for the richest-ever tournament in local history.
With the organising committee staking a whopping US$1 million budget for staging the event, CEC contributed K142, 737 to the Mopani Zambia Open for infrastructure upgrades at hosts, Nkana Golf Club in Kitwe.
CEC executive chairperson, Hamson Sindowe said the power supplying firm’s contribution towards the prestigious tournament was a way of saying ‘we are in this together.’
In a speech read for him by CEC managing director-operations, Owen Silavwe, Sindowe said the company believed the benefits for upgrading infrastructure would go beyond this year’s championship.
“We can be assured of benefits for the hospitality industry, transport and tourism with prospects for short term employment opportunities. Thus, the tournament is not only a sporting event but a platform for other social and economic endeavours that CEC found worthy of investing for the benefit of the wider community,” he said.
Zambia Open Organising Committee (ZOOC) chairperson, Emmanuel Mutati thanked CEC for the sponsorship, saying preparations had now reached an important phase of stitching together pieces into one big, interesting and successful event.
Mutati said despite having the highest purse money of $250,000, the Mopani Zambia Open had also broken a national record of having the highest number of motor vehicles sponsored for hole-in-one on four short holes on the course.
Mutati said Southern Cross Motors had sponsored a Jeep Cherokee with Toyota Zambia staking their 2014 model Toyota Corolla while Vehicle Centre and Yeti Motors had contributed a Ford Ranger and Hyundai IX 35, respectively.
The ZOOC chief also announced the Airtel Zambia and Samsung would co-sponsor the first Mopani Zambia Open Pro-Am on May 13 with Zamtel and Redpath Mining taking care of the second event on May 14.
The 72-hole stroke play Mopani Zambia Open proper, which is being defended by Brazilian, Adilson Da Silva, will run from May 15 to 18.