Akope, Namakula head to West Africa for sh800m golf tournament
Dec 06, 2017
Namakula is Uganda’s only professional lady golfer.
PIC: Capital FM presenter Flavia Tumusiime (right) presents $1100 (sh3.9m) to professional golfers Deo Akope (left) and Flavia Namakula. (Credit: Michael Nsubuga)
SPORT | GOLF
Uganda's only professional lady golfer Flavia Namakula has, together with fellow golfer Deo Akope received a major boost of of $1100 (sh3.9m) from Capital Radio. The duo will be in Equatorial Guinea from December 14-17 to compete in the 3e Actuaries Golf Open.
On Wednesday the two golfers received the cash to supplement their upkeep and compete favorably with the over 100 golfers expected.
Namakula is one of the few African ladies that have a chance to fight it out with a strong field of European golfers for a share of $100,000 (sh360m) in the annual tournament at the Presidential Golf Course in Mongomo.
One of the high profile tournaments on the continent has a kitty of $150,000 (sh450m) for the male professionals.
Akope who is going for his third tournament and gained automatic qualification, having finished 11th last year is hoping to do even better having played on the same course twice before.
"We promise we shall do our best and bring the money back home. I personally expect an improvement because I get to understand the course better each year," Akope said.
"We have worked on our fitness and are prepared both mentally and physically,"
"I hope to do well despite being my first tournament in that country. I know the competition is going to be tough but I'm ready because I have played in a number of tournaments this year including the Sunshine tour in South Africa and I believe I'm ready and I'm looking forward to it. I would like to thank Capital FM for the support," Namakula stated.
Capita FM General Manager Peter Mungoma said their part contribution is intended to help the golfers remain focused as they compete.
"It is a big and unique event in Africa that attracts only the best, which should expose them to improve their talent, which in turn will inspire the local golfing fraternity to also perform better. Sport is one of the components of our programming as well anything to do with emancipating and empowering ladies, that is why we are happy to hear that Namakula had been invited," Mungoma remarked.
The top players normally enjoy an all-expenses paid trip to the annual event, in the golf tourism driven tournament supported by Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.