Nairobi — Kenya Open Golf Limited has appointed Icon Sports Marketing Limited to market and organise the annual Kenya Open whose 2010 edition will be staged at the Muthaiga Golf Club from March 26-29.

The marketing and organisation agreement between the Kenya Open Golf Limited (KOGL) and Icon Sports Marketing was signed at Muthaiga Golf Club on Tuesday.

Briefing the media after signing ceremony, KOGL sponsorship director Isaac Awuondo said the agreement will be focus on professionalism in organisation and sponsorship of the open.

This, he said, includes searching for the title sponsor in the 2010 since this year's event also marked the end of the sponsorship between KOGL and East African Breweries Limited which has supported the tournament on and off for many years.

"Icon Sports Marketing has in the past handled some of the biggest sporting events both local and international, and they bring a wealth of experience in sports marketing and event coordination with a strong bias in sponsorship management," said Awuondo.

Icon Sports Marketing managing director, Grace Kiraguri, said her company was committed to providing professional services and ensuring that the next Kenya Open is a success.

Returns to Muthaiga

"Every sport has the potential to attract and retain a good spectator base as well as attract sponsorship from various brands. We are looking at harnessing the passion and emotion that comes along with sports and merging that spirit with the various brands," said Kiraguri.

KOGL chairman, Peter Kanyago, said next year's open will have a total prize fund of 190,000 euro (about Sh21 million) and that, as usual, the Pro-Am will take place a day before the first round of the Open, which means March 25 will be the day of the Pro-Am also to be held at Muthaiga.

The Open returns to Muthaiga for the second successive year after five years at Karen Country Club. Kanyago said the event will still retain its status as a European Challenge Tour sanctioned event.

"The stature of the open has over the years grown due to the tremendous support received from our corporate sponsors, the golfing fraternity, our hosts Muthaiga and our patron president Mwai Kibaki, and it has continued attracting players of repute along with our local talent" said Kanyago.

The signing of the agreement was witnessed by directors of KOGL Samson Reuben Ndegwa(Kenya Golf Union chairman), David Nyakang'o, and KGU executive committee members D.K. Kariuki, and M.E. Musa. Also present was Sam Mwai, a former Stadia Management boss, who is a sports consultant in Icon Sports Marketing.