President of the Nigeria Golf Federation (NGF), Otumba Olusegun Runsewe, has commended the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, for approving the partnership between the Defence headquarters and NGF in staging the 2023 Armed Forces and Remembrance Day Golf Tournament to halt the distinguishing difference between the military and civilians.
He described the two days golf kitty played at the TYB International Golf Resort and Country Club, Mambilla Barracks, Abuja, in celebrating the fallen heroes of the Nigerian military and retired personnel as a new vista for golf development in Nigeria.
Runsewe, who is also the director-general of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), said the NGF had succeeded in using the kitty to bring new innovations in how tournaments are organised in the country online with international best practice.
He said every player of over 250 golfers that participated in the tournament, including professionals, amateur players, ladies, chief executive officers and members of the security organisations, was given his breakfast and lunch ticket, which effectively curbed scrabbling for food while in line with the international best practices, marshals were branded on the golf course.
According to him, Nigeria had moved to the next level of golf development, saying that professionalism in line with world and global standards have been introduced to the sport by the NGF.
“I’m happy to show you that if you enter the course now, every measure has an international standard. It is an occasion to open up a new strategy of empowering Nigerians. That is how they do it abroad and NGF wants to make a difference this time.
“We have over 250 golfers including professionals, amateurs, women among others, and it is an 18 hole golf course and every professional will go home with an appearance fee and over the winners will smile home with prizes,” Runsewe said.
Speaking to newsmen after performing the ceremonial tee-off during weekend, Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, who was represented by the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, said the event was organized to honour the fallen heroes who had paid supreme price keep Nigeria together and also those still alive who had given their best in service to the nation.
“The essence of the kitty is to also be able to generate small funds for those that are still living to assist them and also tell the nation that in as much as we are fighting war, we also keep fit in the course of fighting war,” Amao said.
He lauded the involvement of NGF which is the body in charge of golf in the country for staging the maiden Armed Forces and Remembrance Day Golf kitty.
