Olawale Ajimotokanin
No fewer than 350 golfers and tennis players will compete at the IBB International Golf and Country Club, Abuja beginning from today to usher in the newly elected executive committee headed by Senator Emmanuel Anosike.
The Chairman Organising Committee Olabanjo Obaleye, said yesterday that arrangements have been made for a successful tournament.
He said a lot of trophies and consolation prizes would be won while the committee, which was inaugurated in April has worked hard to put the golf course in good shape within a short time.
The tournament will tee off today for in-house professional players while it will feature Handicap 19-36 players the next day.
The grand finale comes up on Saturday for handicap 0-18 players in addition to guests and sponsors. Obaleye said all the captains of golf clubs have been invited while the tournament format on Saturday would be a shotgun start to enable everybody start and finish at the same time.
He also noted that the tournament has been structured in a way that all COVID-19 protocols on Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions would not be violated.
“That is why we are doing shotgun and that is why registration commences from Thursdayso that we don’t have crowd. And if I should stress it further, golf is one of the sporting events that can not in any way violate COVID-19 protocols. If you look at the field of play-so expansive- and when you talking about spacing, if you have four in a team on a hole that is 500 metres long, you will be rest assured that between you, your caddie and your partner, you can have more than four metres distance. And again you play under the sun as well which is equally good as a very good protection from COVID-19. In some countries during the serious COVID situation, you still see people playing their golf but ensure that they comply with safety protocols. We have put strategies in place to ensure everybody is safe,” Obaleye said.
The IBB Club Social and Welfare Officer, Michael Nwachukwu noted that the inaugural tournament should be looked forward to from the quality of the prizes, sponsorship and the make- up of the field adding the committee has done a lot to ensure a successful tournament.
