DAR ES SALAAM — THE Tanzania Golf Union (TGU) is making strides towards fulfilling the Minister for Culture, Arts and Sports, Damas Ndumbaro's initiative to introduce golf in next year's Inter-Primary and Secondary School games.
TGU has already identified two golfers for a training programme: Angel Eaton, the only female professional golfer in the country from the Tanzania People's Defence Forces (TPDF) Golf Club in Dar es Salaam and elite amateur Ally Mcharo from TPC Moshi Club in the Kilimanjaro region.
The six-week online training programme, conducted by The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, Scotland, began last week.
The TGU Chairman, Gilman Kasiga told the 'Daily News' in Dar es Salaam recently that all is well as the two golfers set to kick start the school programme after the training.
"The R & A will support the training of new golfers after this important trainers' programme, which is a perfect response to the call made by Minister Ndumbaro to involve golf in the next year's UMISSETA and UMITASHUMTA respectively which was endorsed by the Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa.
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Kasiga said that TGU is making the necessary arrangements to make things possible through the Unleash Your Drive in Schools programme.
"The Unleash Your Drive in Schools programme has been developed by the Golf Foundation with the support of the R&A and is part of R&A's Junior Golf Pathway, created to provide the organisation with a framework for developing junior golf at the grassroots level.
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"The programme provides a platform for children from all backgrounds to experience golf, learn fundamental golf skills and develop mental toughness tools in a fun and meaningful way," noted Kasiga.
He said that those attending the online training session will be receiving knowledge on how to introduce pupils to golf in a fun and meaningful way, teaching fundamental golf skills so pupils can learn to play golf at school quickly.
Kasiga added that other topics are delivering fun and engaging sessions so pupils want to play more golf, and developing some key life skills and techniques that help pupils on and off the course.
He said the attendees will receive a copy of the six-week Unleash Your Drive in Schools programme before the session and be awarded certificates of completion following the training.
Golf will be among the events expected to brighten the Inter-Primary and Secondary School games in the 2025 season.
Minister Ndumbaro tabled a special request to Prime Minister Majaliwa to allow golf to be included in the two major Inter-School Games for the regions with golf courses in Tabora early this month where the PM officially graced the official opening of the Games.
