Mining giants Gold Fields Ghana is keen in seeing the game of golf develop to become as big as popular as football in the country and attain the same heights the global game hold and appeal over the youth.
Football is the most popular mass sport in Ghana but, the mining firm believes golf has the potential to grow in similar stature if proper structures are laid down and enough commitment is offered in this direction.
And this Executive Vice President of Gold Fields West Africa, Alfred Baku said his outfit is committed to attain believing that Ghana has enough talent that could be harnessed into becoming world beaters.
Mr. Baku pointed out that over the years, the game of golf has not been supported enough and given the needed publicity to compete on level terms those already established in Ghana.
He said this at the launch of the second edition of the Gold Fields Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) of Ghana championships in Accra on Tuesday; a competition Gold Fields Ghana is the headline sponsor.
The event comes off at the Damang Golf Course in Ghana's Western region from Wednesday, December 2 to Saturday, December 5, 2015 with over 50 professional golfers from Ghana and other West African countries expected to participate.
Total prize money of GHc 125,000 is at stake in this year's event as compared to the GHc 50,000 fought for in the maiden edition in this competition which is being organized under the auspices of the Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) of Ghana.
"Over the year's, golf has not been given due support in growing the sport and, this is reason why we are partnering the PGA Ghana in their quest to raise the level of interest and participation in this country," Mr Baku stressed.
He added: "With our partnership with the PGA Ghana, we hope a lot more interest would be generated in the sport through our efforts with the youth particularly taking to the game."
This year's Gold Fields PGA championship will see professional golfers being invited from Nigeria, Cameroon, Togo, Benin, Gabon, Senegal, Sierra Leone and the Ivory Coast to participate and Mr Baku has challenged those from Ghana to live up to the billing by keeping the title in the country.
"Competition for honours would be fierce this year but, "I will urge you to give off your best on the occasion and make a case for the Ghanaian game," he charged.
The success of the Ghanaian players in this competition would inspire the youth to take up the sport and with this; Mr. Baku believes Ghana could be producing golfers capable of challenging for honours on the American and European PGA tours.
Gold Fields Ghana he continued will maintain this partnership with the PGA Ghana and support its activities geared towards making golf an ever present on the sporting calendar in Ghana and beyond.
The competition is opened to fully pay up members of the PGA Ghana with the organizers having also invited two golfers each from the aforementioned countries to give some tough competition to their Ghanaian counterparts, seeking to take the title away.
Ghana's challenge will be led by last year's winner Vincent Torgah who played a course record 16 under par to become the first winner of this event. Others who will be mounting a challenge will include the evergreen Amos Korblah, Victor Brave-Mensah, Eric Henaku, Ernest Osei, Baba Akologo and Stephen Klah among others as they seek to keep the title in Ghana.
The 2015 Gold Fields PGA championships also include a two-day 36-Hole invitational amateur competition with some of the best in this category in Ghana expected to challenge for honours.
Other sponsors for this year’s championship include Connell Mining Products and Services, Real Mining Supply, Stellar and ESCO South Africa.
Writers email: george.osei1@yahoo.com/okotosports@yahoo.com
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