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Sports Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Golf Association, in partnership with the Namibia Breweries Limited through their Windhoek Lager brand, launched the regional Africa Jacket Championship at the Royal Harare yesterday. The event will see amateur golfers above 18-years taking part with the winner of each division going to Windhoek Golf and Country Club in Namibia to determine the overall regional champion golfer.

This initiative follows a series of meetings between Windhoek Lager, the ZGA and the other participating country unions during the Zone VI

Golf tournament hosted by the Namibia Amateur Golf Union in March this year. Paul Norris, head of export marketing at Namibia Breweries, said Windhoek Lager shared a special relationship with golf.

‘‘On this basis NBL worked with the unions and associations of these countries to create the inaugural Windhoek Lager Africa Golf Championship,” said Norris.

“Apart from Namibia, the countries that have confirmed to participate in the inaugural tournament are Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa and Zambia.

“We definitely see this expanding in the near future to also include Mozambique, Swaziland, Tanzania and Kenya,” said Norris.
Norris said they had noted that there wasn’t enough, in terms of incentives, to attrack players to enter into tournaments resulting in depressed figures of participants.

“We believe through the Windhoek Lager Africa Jacket Golf Championship we have an incentive for all aspiring golfers to enter and play in these competitions,” he added.

Brian Maphosa, a member of ZGA and the liaison person for Zimbabwe, said this presented an exciting opportunity for local and regional golf.  He said each participating country’s union would choose four existing tournaments in their country which will count towards the

Windhoek Lager Africa Jacket Golf Championship.
“All players entering these tournaments would be eligible to participate in the Windhoek Lager Africa Jacket Golf Championship,” said Maphosa. Boniface Chigorimbo, the ZGA first vice-president, hailed the developments.

“The overall winner will also be awarded the Windhoek Lager Green Jacket and gains a wildcard entry into a ProAm event in SA, still to be confirmed. “The trophy depicts the African continent, but like Golf and Windhoek Lager it has been kept authentic by using natural materials that are common throughout Africa.  “All the countries that have signed up to participate in this event have expressed one common interest, and that is that this initiative can and will increase participation and the growth of the sport of golf,” said Chigorimbo.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwean amateur golfer Shingi Shumba failed to stamp his authority in the South Africa Open Championships held yesterday. Several professional Zimbabweans are still to confirm their participation at the tournament that is likely to see Ryan Cairns, Micky Hough and Greg Bentley taking part.