OSEI WINS ASANTEHENE GOLF (PAGE 47)

GEORGE Osei of Takoradi won the 51st Asantehene Gold Cup Golf Championship, which ended at the Royal Golf Course in Kumasi at the weekend.
He beat a field of more than 200 golfers from Ghana and other West African countries and took home the glittering trophy and other products from the sponsors for his prize.
P. Nukunu of Achimota took the second place in the men’s division.
For the ladies division, Vivien Kouame of Cote d’Ivoire placed first, while Grace Afriyie of Tema took the second position.
In the professionals event, which carried a whopping prize of GH¢2,500, Amos Koblah won the ultimate.
Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited (GGBL), through Gulder, a premier brand of the company, was the major sponsor of the tournament, which is the biggest on the golfing calendar in Ghana. The package totalled GH¢20,000.
Closing the tournament, the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, was happy that the richness of the tournament continued to improve every year.
For instance, he said, entries from other West Africa countries and the increased sponsorship were a testimony to the steady growth of the tournament.
The Asantehene expressed confidence that next year, being his tenthg year on the Golden Stool, will see an even bigger competition.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu observed that golf was becoming a very popular sport amongst all groups of people, doing away with the negative impression that the sport was reserved for the elite.
He said the sport helped in keeping people healthy adding that, “ I have stayed healthy since my enthronement partly because of golf”.
He commended the sponsors for the continued support to the tournament.
The captain of the Royal Golf Club, Mr B.B. Appiah, pledged that the 2008 competition would be organised in an even bigger way.
He was especially grateful to golfers from outside Ghana for travelling all the way from their respective countries to participate in the event.
In her remarks, the Customer Relations Director of GGBL, Mrs Pamela Djamson Tettey, said the sponsorship of the tournament was indicative of the company’s continued efforts at building relationships with its internal and external stakeholders to deliver “amazing outcomes”.
She recounted the long years of support given by GGBL to sports development in the country and said golf, for instance, had enjoyed 29 years of support.
She commended the Royal Golf Club for the effective collaboration with the company to deliver quality to golf lovers.