FIFTY JUNIOR GOLFERS BENEFIT FROM GOLF CLINIC IN VIPINGO
Kenya’s Junior Golf Foundation partnered with Safaricom and the Ladies European Tour (LET) to deliver a junior golf clinic benefitting fifty junior golfers on the side-lines of the third round of the 2024 Magical Kenya Ladies Open held at the Vipingo Ridge in Kilifi County.
The juniors, drawn from the Vipingo community, received a full-day coaching from LET professional golfers as part of efforts to provide them with golf skills at an early age with the aim of preparing them to, one day, take part at locally hosted global events and challenge for the win.
The juniors received golf training from seven LET pros namely: Sweden’s Camilla Lennarth, China’s Xialoin Tian, Lakareber Abe from the USA, Anais Meyssonnier from France, Jana Melichova from the Czech Republic, Magdalena Simmermacher from Argentina, and Verena Gimmy from Germany.
The clinic was also part of Vipingo Ridge’s weekly golf program for underprivileged children from the local village, as well as from a similar scheme at Nyali Golf Club. Both programs are supported by a partnership between the Kenya Golf Union and the Kenya Ladies Golf Union that aims to get young Kenyans into golf and fall under the Junior Golf Foundation umbrella.
Commenting on this, Regina Gachora, president of the Junior Golf Foundation said:
“This junior clinic helps us to expose the game of golf to juniors and what Vipingo Ridge is going to do with these juniors is going to continuously teach them how to play golf and, hopefully, one of these juniors from this region will one day play in the Magical Kenya Ladies Open and we are very aspirational to think that one of them could win the Magical Kenya Ladies Open.
She added:
“Golf is a game that has been thought to be an elite sport [so] we are trying to demystify that golf is not an elite sport [and it’s instead] a game that can be played by all kids. We are, through sponsorships, giving the juniors the resources they need like balls, we are trying to find equipment that they can use – because this is a game that can bring up a lot of opportunities for them.”
On his part, Safaricom CEO, Peter Ndegwa said:
“Sports sponsorship remains a key area for us because of its role in transforming the lives of many young Kenyans. As part of our commitment to supporting and nurturing talent, today we supported junior clinics where over 50 children were trained by golf professionals. The young golfers we nurture and develop are the future of the country’s golf sport.”