BULAWAYO Golf Club professional and Zimbabwe junior golf team coach Philip Tshuma says they are hoping to introduce golf to schools in the western suburbs as they seek to spread the sport this year.
SUKOLUHLE MTHETHWA SPORTS REPORTER
Tshuma is in charge of junior golf development in Matabeleland.
“Acceptance of golf has been a bit slow. I won the coach of the year award last year so I hope that it will light up the corporate world and schools and get them to be involved in the sport.
“I am hoping to get schools like Luveve, Mpopoma and Mzilikazi to get involved in golf. I am yet to approach them,” he said.
Most people shy away from the sport as some regard it as elitist.
“Thanks to Nomads Charity Organisation, they have come through in assisting junior golf by providing us with equipment like balls. If we have more equipment it will encourage more children to take up the sport. We want to spread it everywhere.”
Ninety-One junior golfers were registered in the junior development programme in Victoria Falls last year while Hwange had over 61 entries also due to Patrick Njamba who is assisting Tshuma in the coal mining town.
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Falcon College, CBC, Gifford, Petra and Milton High schools are some of the Bulawayo schools that are involved while Masiyephambili Primary School, Convent, Girls’ College, Eveline High are also in that list.
Matthew Ncube, Keith Banda, Mayford Sibanda and Ronald Sibanda are some of the players who have been identified through the initiative.
Tshuma led Zimbabwe junior golfers to Toyota World Junior Championships’ 72-hole tournament from June 24 to 27 in Nagoya, Japan, last year.
Zimbabwe qualified to take part in the tournament after coming second to South Africa at Chainama Golf Club in Lusaka, Zambia, in May, ending a nine-year absence in the rated global tournament.
Tshuma won the coach of the year award at the Annual National Sports Awards last year.
