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SMART PARTNERSHIP . . . Zimbabwe Golf Association president Mufaro Chivonivoni (right) receives a $35 000 cheque from FBC head of marketing Priscilla Sadomba in Harare on Wednesday while the bank’s brand manager Roy Nyakunuwa looks on

Sikhumbuzo Moyo in BULAWAYO
LEADING financial institution, FBC Bank, have agreed to be the title sponsor of the 2017 All Africa Golf tournament pencilled for the Elephant Hills Golf Course next week.

The financial institution on Wednesday handed over a cheque of $35 000 to the Zimbabwe Golf Association president Mufaro Chivonivoni which will go towards the successful hosting of the event. “The tournament has now been renamed the 2017 FBC All Africa Golf team Championships and as ZGA we are very grateful to FBC for their gesture and to other corporate like Tongaat Hullet, Minerva, Seedco, Zuva, Legacy Group and Colcom that have come on board,” said the ZGA president Chivonivoni. He said the Elephant Hills staff have been working round the clock to ensure that the golf course is in good condition ahead of the start of the tournament.

“We are confident that the event will be a success and that it will also go a long way in promoting the Zimbabwe brand as the players will have some time to visit the tourist attractions that are in and around Victoria falls,” said Chivonivoni. The ZGA boss said the official flag raising ceremony will be held on Monday with teeing off the next day right up to the final round on Friday.

Fifteen countries will now take part at this year’s tournament and they are expected to start touching down tomorrow ahead of the official raising of the flag. Chivonivoni said the countries that will take part are Egypt, Kenya, Uganda, Reunion Island, Tunisia, Zambia, Tanzania, Mauritius, South Africa, Botswana, Swaziland, Angola, Namibia Ghana and hosts Zimbabwe.

The All Africa Golf Team Championships is held every two years and Zimbabwe finished third behind winners South Africa and hosts Kenya, who came second, in 2015. Countries are requested to send four of their top national amateur players along with a coach and president of their national association/Union for a contingent total of six. The executives of the Africa Golf Confederation and representatives of the Royal and Ancient of Scotland usually grace the tournament. The tournament is used to prepare top African amateurs golfers for the World Amateur Team Championships held every two years under the auspices of the International Golf Federation.