By FELIX MALUNGA –
THE tone for the prestigious 2014 Africa Golf Confederation (AGC) President’s Cup will be set this weekend when two corporate golf days are staged in Kitwe.
Setting up the pace will be today’s AGC individual stableford competition at the refurbished Nkana Golf Club where 96 golfers, mostly corporate executives and administrators, will clash in the first ‘Pro-Am’.
Among those playing in today’s corporate golf tournament will be Local Government and Housing Minister, Emmanuel Chenda, AGC president Joe Malanji, Sports Council of Zambia vice-chairperson, Emmanuel Katebe, Zambia Golf Union (ZGU) president, Charles Mwanza and honorary secretary, Kelly Munsaka.
Others are former ZGU presidents, Percy Ng’andwe and Alex Mashano, Ndola Golf Club captain Gary Rutherford, Supersport marketing manager for Southern Africa Marlon Kananda, Noel Nkhoma, Idah Chishala, Cephas Sinyangwe and William Sichilima.
Tomorrow another field of over 90 players will battle for supremacy on the Nkana course.
As the golf administrators and corporate executives will be competing for honours, Tanzania and Nigerian players are expected to jet in today ahead of the AGC President’s Cup on Monday.
Other competing nations in the continental golf showpiece will arrive tomorrow.
Malanji said all was in place for the $400,000 (about K2.5 million) rich tournment which was coming to Zambia for the first time.
And Kenya announced their four-member squad which is made up of the country’s top three amateurs.
The Kenya squad to be led by that country’s golf union chairperson, Peter Warui, has John Karichu, Nelson Simwa,Tony Omuli and Mathew Wahome.
Zimbabwe Golf Association also unveiled their team consisting of Tonderai Masunga, Thembelani Vundla, Visitor Mapwanya and Robson Chinhoyi while Willy Deus Kitata, Robert Oluba, Henry Luggya, Peter Ssendaula and Adolf Muhumuza constitute the Ugandan team.
Zambia will also field a four-member crack squad which ZGU hopes will bring honour to the country during the tournament which ends on October 3.
During the event, AGC will honour president of Nigeria’s senate, David Alechenu Mark and outgoing Kenya Airways chief executive officer, Titus Naikuni for their distinguished service to African golf.