NAN-S-3
Golf
By Olanrewaju Akojede
Lagos, Oct. 24, 2017 (NAN) Some lady golfers have appealed for an increase in golf competitions for females to encourage their participation and increase awareness of the sport.
The golfers made the call in interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the closing of the 4th Awa Ibrahim Junior Golf Championships held in Lagos.
NAN reports that the annual three-day competition, aimed at discovering talents under 15 years, was to mark the birthday anniversary of Alhaji Awa Ibrahim, a golf enthusiast.
Blessing Obaje, a coach from St. David Mark Golf Academy and Country Club in Benue, said that more championships for female players were overdue.
“If we have more championships, many females will come out to play; golf is a gentleman’s game and it is also good for ladies to express themselves.
“Before now, I was the only one playing golf with my proprietor’s wife, Mrs David Mark, but today more ladies are playing the game; we now have about 30 females in the academy.
“I want more tournaments to encourage more women to play the game; the game is good for us, but we need more awareness through competitions.
“Having more competitions will arouse the interests of others to play the game,’’ she said.
Emy Ekong, Director, Women and Youths Development, Nigeria Golf Federation, told NAN that women should be encouraged to play golf through regular competitions.
“Before now, we can count the number of females playing golf in Nigeria, but things have improved now that we have some sponsorship.
“We can be effectively involved if we have sponsors for the female competitions; that is what we are looking for. We need more sponsorship.
“We can sharpen our skills if we are in competitions,’’ she said.
Georgia Oboh, the U.K.-based winner of the female U-16 Category of the 4th Awa Ibrahim Junior Golf Championships, told NAN that Nigerian female golfers would compete favourably anywhere if exposed to more competitions.
“We need more of these competitions.
“It is good that Nigerian children are learning golf; within the next five years, we will be hosting big events in Nigeria.
“In U.K., lots of golf courses are located in forest areas, just outside the main cities, but in Nigeria, it is the opposite, as we have golf courses in the centre of cities.
“This is the reason for short-range golf course in Nigeria unlike the long-range in the U.K.; some golfers may not be able to express themselves,’’ she said. (NAN)
KOJE/ERO/IGO
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(Edited by Emmanuel Okara/Ijeoma Popoola)
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