By Collins Yakubu-Hammer
The former Governor of Plateau, Mr Simon Lalong, and Dame Julie Okah-Donli, ex-Director-General of National Agency for the Prohibition and Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), have called for more women participation in Golf to produce women professionals in the game.
They made the call at the celebration of Women’s Golf Day on Tuesday in Abuja.
The event, with the theme “Be the best version of yourself that you can be”, was organised by the Ladies Section of the IBB International Golf and Country Club.
Lalong said he was excited to see women golfers playing the game with passion and seriousness.
“I encourage more women to join the game of golf. It is a game for elite, including Presidents, especially in the United States. It is a very good game for everyone, both male and female.
“Golf is a game that you cannot quantify the advantages and benefits to people; so to see women engaged in the game is good. Like they say, what a man can do, a woman can do better.
“I am very positive that we would soon begin to produce great women golfers in the country. We have the academy in Jos, Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and other places.
“So, we should not lose hope. One day we will produce the likes of Tiger Woods. I have seen a lot of young ladies that play golf. There is hope for Nigeria and Africa to produce great women golfers,” Lalong said.
Similarly, Dame Julie Okah-Donli, who is also the Vice Lady Captain of the IBB International Golf and Country Club, said there were young girls that played as professionals and some playing to become professionals.
“Here in IBB, we encourage as many young girls as possible to come out and play golf as their male counterparts, and as a matter of fact, we are going to sponsor some of them.”
Meanwhile, the Lady Captain of the IBB Golf and Country Club, Mrs Comfort Olateju, said to achieve the theme of the celebration, there was need to involve cardies to play with.
“This is because, we want to empower and celebrate female golfers around the world and we want a kind of empowerment that would be sustainable.
“There is going to be a lecture where each woman player would be encouraged to adopt a cardy and empower her in the area of mentorship.
“The benefits of playing golf is an exercise; as you walk and go round, you are seeing the trees and nature that improve our health,” Olateju said.
In same vein, the competition Secretary for the IBB Ladies Golf Section, Mrs Jane Ahmed, said the celebration of the International Women Golf Day started in 2017.
“The whole idea of this year’s celebration is to empower girls and for ladies to network; so the day is for uniting, bringing in new golfers, networking and empowering the young ones.
“So we in the IBB and Ladies Section have chosen to empower female caddies, because, you must start from your immediate environment.
“We have 30 female caddies and we have chosen to see how we can sit together and help them in their individual circumstances; This is the first time we are doing this, and we hope it will yeild fruits,” Ahmed said.
One of the female caddies, Miss Hanatu Timothy, a champion for Carddies from Adamawa, said she was happy to play in the Lady’s Day.
She expressed optimism that Olateju, Okah-Donli, Ahmed and others would empower her and her fellow Caddies to take their game to the next level. (NAN)