DEFENDING Hwange Open Golf Tournament champion Brian Gondo says he is confident that he will retain the title when the 2013 edition of the competition tees off on November 28.
SUKOLUHLE MTHETHWA SPORTS REPORTER
Gondo won last year’s event by one shot to finish on a gross score of 140 (four-under par) a result which saw him pocketing $3 600.
Yesterday, he told Southern Eye Sport that he was ready for this year’s competition.
“My preparations for the competition are going on very well. I am in good space. I have been working on my fitness because Hwange is very hot. I have just been running and doing aerobics as well because I injured my hand in January. I have been doing a lot of shot game play in preparation.
“I’m confident that I can do well even though we have not played in a long time. I have just been preparing on my own,” he said.
Gondo was tipped to put up a strong challenge against golfers from other countries in Southern Africa in tournaments that were held early this year, but the injury he sustained in the Africa Open Championships in South Africa in February forced him to withdraw from most competitions.
Nyasha Muyambo and Ignatius Mketekete were second on three-under par 141 receiving $2 070 in the process in last year’s Hwange Open competition.
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Former Hwange Open Golf champion Tongoona Charamba, who was the defending champion and was a pretournament favourite, finished the competition on position five after carding a two-over par 146.
Thirty-three golfers took to the greens in the competition which also featured golfers from outside the country.
Zambian professional Patrick Mwendapole who was one of the participants, finished eighth after getting a gross score of 147 (three-under par).
Hwange Colliery Company corporate affairs advisor Burzil Dube said they were expecting 150 players.
“We are expecting a field of 150 amateur and professional golfers to take part. We have various sponsors who have come in support of the competition. We have more than eight sponsors,” he said.
Dube said they were due to meet yesterday to discuss on the sponsorship package.
However, Zambezi Tour said that the competition would be sponsored to the tune of $15 000.
