*over 250 amateurs to participate
Over 156 professionals and no fewer than 250 amateurs are expected to feature in the maiden edition of the KADINVEST Pinnacle Communications Pro-Am Golf Tournament, billed for the Kaduna Golf Club.
This was disclosed by the Captain of the Kaduna Golf Club, Colonel Ibrahim Biu at the press briefing for the First KADINVEST PRO-AM Golf Tournament, Kaduna Golf Club at the weekend, ahead of the tournament billed to tee off on Tuesday March 27 at the Kaduna Golf Club, where he said that all together, about 400 golfers.
Colonel Biu said that he was competition secretary in the club in 1998 the last time the club hosted a competition like this.
He said that it has never been this big, with a competition prize money of N7m for professional and 10m in all for amateur.
“The Chairman of Pinnacle Communication said that he is still ready to spend more. To the chairman of Pinnacle Communications we are very grateful.
“They would not have come to sponsor this tournament, but because of someone who is trustworthy like Gov El-Rufai.
“He was here in KADINVEST and assured the governor that he would sponsor a tourney. Instead if an amateur tourney, he sponsored a pro am, that would feature players from all over Africa.
“Pinnacle Communications also renovating and reconstruction of part of the club. He has assisted the club, when we needed him. He sponsored Pinnacle tournament last year and he is sponsoring more
“This club house has been named after him, Sir Lucky Omorodion Omoluwa,” he said.
He explained that the aim is to invite visitors into Kaduna State to invest.
“I don’t want to preempt the number of visitors coming in on daily basis, but it would be huge,” he added.
For the Pinnacle representative, Engineer Tony Webber, he said that they promised to sponsor this competition and grow tourism in the state,and are fulfilling the promise.
“We hope in the future, the continuation of this tournament would continue to attract tourists.
“Golf helps people to grow and Sir Lucky is conscious of what golf has given him and is poised to giving it back to society.
“Next week, Kaduna Golf Club would be lit up,” he added.
He pointed out that the tournament is part of Pinnacle’s corporate social responsibility.
“The commissioning of the digital switch over is beneficial to the state because you can get information at your finger tips through the free to air decoders. You gain from that and Pinnacle gains from the sales of the set up boxes. In terms of leveraging, people will also get to know them better and how they operate including security gadgets sales which they do.
“Many countries would be here and their ambassadors would also be here and they would discuss with KADIPA in terms of investments,” he explained.
The Kaduna Golf Club captain said that the club wants to start catching players young.
“We have professionals and they teach young ones how to play, we have something like an academy.
“We have transitional process from amateurs to professionals,” he stressed.
He expressed optimism that it would not just end with one edition.
“For the Pinnacle I know, its going to be an annual competition.”
Top dignitaries at the press briefing include, Captain Kaduna Golf Club, Colonel Ibrahim Biu, Representative of Pinnacle Communications Ltd, Engineer Tony Webber, Competition Secretary, Honourable Nazifi Ibrahim and Vice Captain, Barrister Emmanuel Owoicho.
Others are Kaduna Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Chairman, Mr. Isaiah Benjamin, his Secretary, Mr. Beni Adams and North West Secretary SWAN, Alhaji Abdulraheem Aodu.
