No fewer than 260 junior golfers have converged on Jos for the 3rd edition of the Open Championships organised by the Nigerian Golf Federation (NGF).
Mr Sule Bello, the NGF’s Vice-President disclosed this at the opening of the championships on Friday in Jos.
He said that the championships, organised in collaboration with the Plateau Government, was aimed at grooming young golfers and promoting the game in the country.
“For this edition of the junior open championship, we have 260 young golfers here to participate.
“By this, we are grooming these young ones so as to keep the game of golf alive and I believe among these young ones we shall someday get our own Tiger Woods,” he said.
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The vice-president explained that the participants were drawn from various parts of the country.
He said the game of golf was not exclusively reserved for the elites or the rich, adding that every member of the society could to be a golfer.
He commended the Plateau government for collaborating with the NGF to host the tournament.
Declaring the tournament open, Gov. Simon Lalong, described golf as “All encompassing”, as it keeps golfers mentally active.
Represented by Mr Jaafaru Wuyep, the state Commisoner for Water Resources and Energy, Lalong said the championships would boost the tourism potentials of the state.
“When you talk of Plateau, you talk of tourism, and we are passionate about promoting our huge tourism potentials and that is what golf sport does stand for.
“So, by hosting this junior open championship, it will further promote the tourism potentials of the state,” he said.
Lalong gave the assurance that golf would be sustained in the state even after his tenure as governor.
Mr Lazarus Mshelia, the Captain of the Rayfield golf club, venue of the tournament, thanked the organisers for choosing his club for the championships.
Mshelia said the tournament would tremendously develop and promote golf in the state. (NAN)
