-While Safaricom Champions for Aspiring Female and Junior Golfers during the 2024 Magical Kenya Ladies Open at Kenya’s Vipingo Baobab Ridge Course, Kilifi;
ROBERT KOMU AND PETER NDONGA-IMG KENYA LIMITED;
Kilifi County Governor Gideon Mung’aro says that National and County Governments should continue to sponsor and partner with organizers of International Sports events to position Kenya as a sports destination.
He said the County Governments have a pivotal role to play in ensuring that the country fully harnesses the full potential of the events to support local businesses and showcase their tourism potential.
The global media coverage received from the events helps to spotlight and highlight the regions they are hosted.
The Governor was speaking during the 2024 Ladies European Tour (LET) Magical Kenya Ladies Open (MKLO) which took place between February 8th-11th at Kenya’s Vipingo Baobab Course Vipingo Ridge Kilifi County.
“Kilifi County is thrilled to host the Magical Kenya Ladies open which is an important event that puts a spotlight on us. The county government of Kilifi will continue to collaborate with the national Government and the event organizers to ensure that this event continues to be successful. The Government of Kenya has to continue sponsoring this event which has a positive impact on our local economy, next year, we hope to do even more in terms of support for this event,” said Mung’aro.
The Governor welcomed Kenyans to Kilifi stating that the County was the future of tourism in Kenya.
“I ask Kenyans and visitors from across the region to come to Kilifi. Kilifi is the only County where a visitor is able to have breakfast at the Beach, Lunch on Safari and dinner at the Beach in close proximity. We also have many other attractions for our visitors including Water sports and wellness experiences” added Mung’aro.
Kenya currently hosts key International sports events including the Magical Kenya Ladies Open, the Magical Kenya Open which will take place on February 22nd-25th, the WRC safari rally taking place on March 28th to 31st and the Continental Tour, Kip-Keino Classic taking place on the April 20th,2024.
Principal Secretary, State Department for Sports Peter Tum says that the Ministry of Sports will continue to invest in the events due to their value in building capacity of Kenyan Sportsmen and Women as well as positively profiling the Country globally.
“The Magical Kenya Ladies Open was watched in over 100 countries globally by millions of viewers. The people of Kilifi are also benefiting economically through selling of their merchandise and artifacts which creates opportunities for them. Importantly, the Kenyan lady golfers participating were competing with professionals from across the world which helps in progressing them in the sport. We want our home-grown Golfers to be able to compete in other international events, our goal is to monetize the talent we have in Kenya,” said PS Tum.
On his part, the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) Ag. Chief Executive Officer John Chirchir said “As part of our tourism marketing strategy, we are keen to showcase Kenya’s potential for sports tourism market. For instance, our beautiful climate, stunning courses, and world-class hospitality make golf tourism a natural fit for us. With the millions of viewers over four days, the golf events provide an invaluable opportunity to beam Kenya’s magical attractions and experiences across the globe and illustrate why Kenya is not just about wildlife safaris but also a world-class golfing and sports tourism destination. We shall continue to partner with counties and the private sector to enable us to tap into this multi-billion-dollar global industry,” Said Chirchir.
Golf tourism is a thriving industry, estimated to be worth over 2 billion USD globally, according to the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO) and the average Golf tourist has a high spend rate with Kenya aiming to attract more of these visitors.
Meanwhile for the past four editions, Safaricom, through its M-PESA platform, has been an integral part of the Magical Kenya Ladies Open, a tournament included in the Ladies European Tour and organized by U.COM Event.
This year marked the fourth edition of the event’s presence in Kenya and East Africa after its debut in 2019.
Safaricom, known for its culture of supporting and nurturing talents in the Country, committed KES.34.8 million to support the event.
In line with its commitment to nurturing talent, Safaricom provided a unique opportunity to four aspiring golfers Margaret Njoki and Aisha Duba from Golf Park in the senior category, and Vivian Adhiambo and Ekron Odhiambo from Nyali Golf Club in the junior category, by fully sponsoring them to participate in the Pro-Am tournament.
These four Golfers who possess great talent in the Sport unfortunately lack the financial means to participate in such a prestigious tournament on their own.
They were nominated by their respective foundations, namely the Junior Golf Foundation (JGF) and the Kenya Ladies Golf Union (KLGU).
The Magical Kenya Ladies Open Pro-Am platform provided these players with the chance to interact with and learn new skills from international professional golfers.
“I am immensely grateful to Safaricom for providing me with the opportunity to participate in this year’s Magical Kenya Ladies Open. It was my first time playing in the Pro-Am event at the tournament, and the experience was truly remarkable. I learned a lot from the professionals I played alongside. One of the key takeaways for me was mastering the technique of rolling the ball far from the bunker,” said Aisha Duba.
To further nurture golf talents in the Country from the grassroots, Safaricom sponsored a Junior Golf clinic at the event, benefiting more than 50 junior golfers who received full-day coaching from the LET professional golfers.
“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,” said Peter Ndegwa, CEO of Safaricom.
This initiative positions the Safaricom brand as providing opportunities for promising athletes and additionally, through this sponsorship, Safaricom not only enhances the diversity of the tournament but also empowers aspiring talents.
ENDS;
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