. Mwanza

By FELIX MALUNGA –
THE Zambia Golf Union (ZGU) has described 2014 as a special and important year in the management of the sport as the nation witnessed the successful staging of unprecedented three international tournaments.
ZGU president Charles Mwanza named the events as the Mopani Copper Mines Zambia Open, the Zambia Sugar Open and the All Africa Junior Golf Challenge.
Zambia also hosted the inaugural Africa Golf Confederation (AGC) President’s Cup.
Mwanza paid tribute to Mopani for being major sponsors of the Zambia Open Championship hosted at the refurbished Nkana Golf Club in Kitwe with $250,000 (about K1.6 million) staked as prize money.
Mopani have since partnered with Redpath Mining as co-sponsors for the 2015 Zambia Open Championship and upped the prize money to $300,000 (about K1.9 million).
Mwanza also thanked Zambia Sugar for unveiling a surprise three-year sponsorship package for the new tournament on the Sunshine Tour–the Zambia Sugar Open.
He said it was a befitting jubilee present and celebration for the golfing fraternity.
Lusaka Golf Club hosted the 2014 Zambia Sugar Open and is preparing to stage the next year’s edition.
Despite the tournaments being successful, Mwanza expressed disappointment with the continued poor performance by local golfers-professionals and amateurs.
Chainama Hills Golf Club in Lusaka also hosted the 2014 All Africa Junior Challenge where 12 countries participated and Zambia won bronze after finishing behind champions, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
AGC headed by immediate-past ZGU president, Joe Malanji has since asked Zambia to organise the 2015 edition following visa complications with initial hosts, Reunion.
Heading into 2015, Mwanza said despite some achievements recorded this year, ZGU would still need to address a number of critical issues.
He said ZGU’s major focus in 2015 would be the junior golf development and implement its new strategic plan which will be circulated to all clubs.
ZGU also intend to secure office space for its secretariat at the National Sports Development Centre (NASDEC) in Lusaka and implement a new handicap system.
Mwanza added that the union would also address the thorny issue of encroachment at various clubs and find an antidote to the continued poor results been churned out by local players at all national team levels.