Tanzania’s top lady golfer pleads for support after Ghana Open event

Tanzania’s top lady golfer, Madina Idd, has expressed her disappointment about lacking support from the golf stakeholders, despite many of them performing well internationally.

Idd, who recently won the Ghana Amateur Ladies Open, said most of the golfers featuring in international competitions incur own expenses like return tickets, accommodation, food, participation fees due to a lack of sponsors.

She said the situation forces them to struggle to secure the amount of money they need to represent the country, apart from attaining international exposure.She called upon the stakeholders to support them just like what is done in football.

She explained that amateur golfers always do not have lucrative prizes that do not reflect on what they spend compared to professionals’.

Idd, who is from Arusha Gymkhana Club and who also managed to win the Kenya Amateur Ladies Golf Open Stroke Play Championship held in Nairobi in May this year, said she spent about $1,400 (Sh3.5 million) to compete in the Ghana Open to be awarded a golf changing bag and a voucher to allow her to stay at Ghana’s five-star hotel for two nights.

"I have my golf changing bag, but I had to offer my fellow golfer a two-night stay at one of Ghana’s five-star hotels due to my travel schedule. I had to leave Accra the next day," said Idd. She explained that she was awarded an empty golf bag after winning Kenya’s Amateur Ladies Golf Open Stroke Play Championship.

"I spent $500 (Sh1.3 million) to compete in the Kenya event and gain exposure as well as promote my country. I am proud of it because I earned compliments from the government and our association.

“I am not complaining, no... I am just explaining how the game works and how it needs support from the stakeholders. TLGU (Tanzania Ladies Golf Union) is currently struggling to develop the game. It also needs support, as there are a lot of programmes that have to be conducted for the future of the game.

“I believe that in the next two to three years, there will be no Madina and others. TLGU needs to be facilitated in order to run youth programmes and develop coaches," she said.

According to Idd, there are so many talented ladies golfers who can promote the name of the country abroad, but they failed to compete due to a lack of funds.

"It is my passion for the game that makes me and others compete internationally, but for amateur golfers, there are no lucrative prizes that make you compensate after emerging the winner.

“I am happy to win the trophy and promote the name of my country abroad. I am also challenging the game stakeholders to support us both locally and internationally," she said.

Apart from Idd, the event also featured Ayne Magome who was placed third and Yasmin Chali was fifth out of 32 golfers in the handicap category.