Chronicle Editor
Shingai Dhlamini, Sports Reporter
THE president of Zimbabwe Footgolf Association, Daniel Kuwengwa, has revealed that the sport will be introduced in all National Association of Primary Heads (NAPH) schools by next year.
Footgolf is a hybrid sport in which players kick a football (soccer ball) into a cup in as few shots as possible.
The name is a blend of football and golf.
It employs normal golf rules.
A golf course is used for footgolf but unlike golf the holes are shorter from the tee box with a minimum 30m to 50m distances.
During the past week, Zimbabwe Footgolf Association was in all the 72 districts of the country.
“In 2025 Footgolf will be competed in all NAPH Primary Schools. It is now an Olympic Sport and there is an International Footgolf Federation.
In Africa, South Africa and Zimbabwe are the two major countries competing.
“It is played by individuals in many formats but mostly as four-ball. In footgolf, you can play as a single player, in pairs, or in groups of four. Larger groups can also participate, teeing off one after another depending on the course rules,” said Kuwengwa.
He said the game is played similarly to golf, with the exception that players use a football instead of a golf ball, and the ball is kicked rather than struck with a club working toward a 50cm-52cm diameter by 28cm deep “footgolf cup” usually located away from golf greens.
The player who finishes the course with the fewest shots wins.
Footgolf is often played on golf courses, though it may also be played on specially built courses. The first shot has to be played from a tee box, and bunkers, trees, water and hills must be crossed or avoided in order to reach the hole.
Kuwengwa said since footballs cannot be propelled as far as golf balls in one shot, footgolf is played on holes shorter than those used in golf.
“Compared to golf, footgolf is quicker to play, faster to learn, and cheaper in terms of equipment as there is a need for players and a ball only,” he said.
Kuwengwa said he is pleased with the response they have been getting from schools and individuals from all around Zimbabwe.
“The response is tremendous, it is going to be one of the most preferred sports in the shortest time possible because it is easy to learn and master, all age groups men or women can participate.
“Footgolf is a networking sport, besides the development of the game it also encompasses elements of diplomacy, grooming and etiquette, there is a tourism component, entrepreneurial skills through the sport. All in all there is total development of footgolfers through footgolf. Its wide range of activities which includes Kids Putters Programme, Junior Drivers, Ladies Kickers and the Sinkers Programme, a lot of life skills development is realised through footgolf.
“The sport also has strong shared values like honesty, teamwork, integrity, and ubuntu. The idea is to build global foot golfers who will be competitive at international levels,” he said.
The biggest footgolf event was the fourth Federation for International FootGolf (FIFG) World Cup Orlando 2023 in which nearly 1 000 professional footgolf players from 39 countries gathered for the event, including former professional athletes like Alan Smith, Olindo Mare, and Roberto Ayala.
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