Chronicle Editor
Brandon Moyo, Sports Reporter
THE countdown to the 2024 All Africa Golf Team Championship (AAGTC) has begun after the tournament was officially launched at the host venue, Bulawayo Golf Club last Friday evening.
Zimbabwe – Bulawayo Golf Club – will play host to the biggest amateur golfing tournament in Africa and the tournament is pencilled in for October 27 to November 2.
Last week’s event was meant to officially start the countdown to the premier golf championship event. Speaking at the launch function, Zimbabwe Golf Association (ZGA) president, Martin Chikwana, who also serves as the vice-president of the Africa Golf Confederation (AGC), said they were honoured to have been given the opportunity to host an event of this magnitude.
He said preparations have already begun and promised that they will deliver a memorable event. He added that they had received an overwhelming response from various teams around the continent, all expressing their interest.
“We have new countries that have come through that have confirmed that they will be flying in. We have been getting a lot of enquiries and we want to ensure that we showcase Bulawayo as a very beautiful place with beautiful people and it’s all business that will be coming through to Bulawayo.
To ensure that people have taste of what Bulawayo is all about, we are going to travel around what we have in order to showcase what Bulawayo and Zimbabwe is all about. If time allows, we will also take them to the Matopos so that the visitors get the chance to see something outside the golf course.
“It’s going to be a very huge event and I’m sure with the support that the golfing community and the entire country will give us, we will successfully host this event. It’s all guns blazing and the local organising committee has been working diligently and tirelessly in the past few weeks and I’m sure leading up to the event they will be pushing as hard as they can to ensure that we are able to host a very successful event.
“Thank you very much to Bulawayo Golf Club, this is just the beginning, the journey continues leading up to the event. We are pushing very hard to ensure that as a country we are able to successfully host this event, of a sport that we are all passionate about,” said Chikwana.
The local organising committee is chaired by ZGA vice-president, Stalin Masiya who made a plea to the corporate world to support them in hosting an event that is not only for ZGA but Zimbabwe at large.
“Our role is to make sure that this tournament becomes a success and its success hinges on all of us here. With your support and everyone’s support, we will make this tournament a very huge success.
My call to the corporate world is please support us, this is not about ZGA, this is about the country and this tournament is the football equivalent of the Africa Cup of Nations, that’s how big it is, so we really need everyone’s support. We will continue running around and knocking on corporates’ doors,” said Masiya.
One of the corporates that have joined ship in making sure that the tournament is a success is PPC who were represented by their sales area manager for the southern region, Wonderful Dube who was standing in for the head of sales and marketing, Nkosana Mapuma.
He said as an organisation, they are glad to have partnered with ZGA. “I am thrilled to represent PPC Zimbabwe, a proud partner of the AAGTC at this momentous occasion. Today, we celebrate the convergence of sport excellence, African unity and community development. Our commitment to this championship underscores our dedication to empowering local talent, fostering regional collaboration and promoting Zimbabwe’s beauty to the world.
“Through this championship, we aim to support Africa golfers in their pursuit of excellence, secondly, to promote Zimbabwe’s stunning golf courses and tourism attractions and also to strengthen bonds between African nations through sport and diplomacy. May your passion for golf inspire a brighter future for Africa and we look forward to a championship that will leave a lasting legacy for African golf and our communities,” said Dube.
Zimbabwe last hosted the tournament in 2017 at the Elephant Hills Golf Course in Victoria Falls and the forthcoming event will be yet another momentous occasion.
The tournament was initially meant to take place in Seychelles. It was, however, moved to Zimbabwe after the initial hosts declared incapacitation. The biennial continental showdown will attract esteemed organisations such as AGC and the R&A, further amplifying its significance on the international stage.
The previous championship was hosted in Egypt in 2022. Speaking on behalf of the host venue, Bulawayo Golf Club, professional golfer, Brian Gondo said they are honoured and grateful to have been given the opportunity to host such a momentous tournament.
He said they cannot wait to welcome the rest of Africa when the tournament tees off. The iconic Bulawayo Golf Club is the oldest golf club in the country and renovations have already begun.
The 2024 AAGTC promises to be a landmark event in the annals of African golfing history. By bringing together nations, athletes and stakeholders, it embodies the spirit of unity, competition and excellence.—@brandon_malvin
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