17 November 2008
The 2008 Annual Junior Golf Open championship has received a boost with the backing of Diamond Bank Plc who sees the sponsorship as part of its contribution to the development of the Nigerian Sport sector by way of empowering and harnessing the untapped talents in youths and nurtures them to develop a towering career in the elite sport.
In a statement from the Bank, the event is organized by Ladies Golf Association in conjunction with the Nigeria Golf Association and it is coming up in November 2008 at Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. The championship serves as a qualifier for the annual "Teens on the Green Tournament". The best ten junior winners of this championship will represent Nigeria at the TOTG championship in Florida, USA, in December 2008.
"Diamond Bank decided to sponsor the championship because it recognized an opportunity to invest in the future of these young golfers and to make a positive impact in their lives and encourage those who may like to build a career in the sport. Besides preparing the young ones for competitive games both at local and international competitions, we all know that the game of golf offers opportunity for body exercise and also help them to develop good moral standards from a tender age. It is also a game they can play through out their live time and could serve as a means of livelihood and empowerment for them in the future", it said.
It further stated that the Annual Junior Championship serves as a qualifier to the prestigious International Junior Golf Championship and the Teens on the Green (TOTG) program dedicated to providing opportunities to youngsters around the world to earn scholarships to college, to receive an understanding, respect, and awareness of other cultures, and to broaden their life's ambitions to a global level. It also instills the importance of education in all the participants. "So the Bank is not only giving the youngsters an opportunity to become professional golfers but also giving them an opportunity to get best standard of education in a cluttered manner," it stated.
Similarly, speaking on the significance of (TOTG) program, President, Ladies Golf Association of Nigeria, Mrs. Eme Ekong stated that the mission of the TOTG programme is built on the belief that a greater knowledge of culture and interaction with people from around the world will lead to increased world peace and greater respect for one another, adding that the mission also stands on the principle that the combination of golf and education provides the tools necessary for a promising future for the young golfers and their families.
Diamond Bank has over the years grown a reputation of being a strong supporter of the game of golf. It has sponsored a host of many golf tournaments, such as the Nigerian Cup and the India Golf Cup, both of which take place at the Ikoyi Golf Club, Lagos annually.
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