Vision 2030 Director General Ken Mwige on Thursday appealed to the country’s corporates to invest in Kenya’s Professional golfers in order for them to match the standard of Kenya’s athletes and other sports men and women who have made impact in the world of sports.
Mwige said Kenyan professionals are as talented as any other golfers but they need support for them to perform even better and particularly if Kenyans would like to see one of them winning the Magical Kenya Open.
Speaking at Ngong Racecourse’s Golf Park where he presented cheques worth Sh3 million to the 15 professionals including the three regional players, Mwige said those players will be watched by over a billion people from different part of the world.
“This is a great exposure our pros need and we need to support them to do well not just in the Magical Kenya Open but elsewhere they go. It’s a great investment to the country, and I am therefore asking our corporates through their marketing managers to consider supporting them’’ said Mwige and added: “Kenya is a sports giant that is why Vision 2030 takes into account the crucial role sports have in overall national development. This is outlined in the Social Pillar of Vision 2030 which seeks to harness sports for enhanced social economic and political development.”
Vision 2030 Director General Kenneth Mwige during an interview with Nation Sport at Ngong Race Course on March 11, 2021.
Mwige he expects local corporates to take up the challenge to pick up and sponsor Golf Professionals throughout the Year, especially through the Qualifying Rounds provided by The Safari Tour, for the clear and obvious benefit of branding rights in International Golf Tournaments such as The Kenya Open and The Kenya Savannah Open.
Besides cash, Vision 2030 also branded the professionals, comprising 12 Kenyans and three regional players Andrew Odoh of Nigeria, Zimbabwe’s Robson Chinhoi and Philip Kasozi of Uganda. They will don Kenya Vision 2030 branded golf t-shirts and caps for the whole period of the tournament, which is part of the elite European Golf Tour scheduled from March to 21, at the Karen Country Club.
Vision 2030 Secretariat Director General Kenneth Mwige follows the flight of his tee at Ngong Race Course on March 11, 2021 during a ceremony where Vision 2030 launched their sponsorship ahead of Kenya Open and Savannah Classic.
The sponsorship extends to the Kenya Savannah Classic, also part of the European Tour, that will take place from March 23 to 26 at the same venue.
Each player received a cheque of Sh140,000 which is Sh50,000 for each event per player and Sh40,000 as part of caddie fee for the two tournaments.
In addition, the top three placed players will receive Sh250,000, Sh200,000 and Sh100,000.
Speaking at the same function, Lucas Maranga, a director of Kenya Open Golf Limited, thanked Vision 2030 for their support to the Kenyan professionals saying it will go along way in motivating them to play well in the two events.
Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK) Captain John Wangai, who has also qualified for the Magical Kenya Open, said Vision 2030’s support is the best way to try and help the local players perform well.
Muthaiga’s Greg Snow follows the flight of his tee at Ngong Race Course on March 11, 2021 during a ceremony where Vision 2030 launched their sponsorship ahead of Kenya Open and Savannah Classic.
Zimbabwe’s Robson Chinhoi said he was grateful for the support he has received since he arrived in the country to play in the Safari Tour. “Kenyans have shown how wonderful people they are, by not just supporting their own players but even us as foreigners.”
“I am so touched by this generosity, and I just can’t find words to express my gratitude and I am sure even my colleagues also feel the same,” said Chinhoi.
He said his game has improved since he started playing in the Safari Tour and that he was all set for the two major events from next week. BY DAILY NATION