Military Chief, LG Administrator Claim MTN Golf Championship Top Prizes

Golfers and enthusiasts of the sport were treated to an impressive and exciting tournament sponsored by Nigeria’s leading ICT Company, MTN Nigeria at the luxuriant Lakowe Lakes over the weekend. The 18-hole world class championship Golf Course is situated along the Lekki–Epe axis in Lagos.

The one-day MTN Golf Championship featured captains of industries, technocrats and administrators such as Uyi Akpata, Senior Country Manager, PWC; Kate Iketubosin, Managing Director, Stern & Kay Consulting Limited; Obinnia Abajue, Executive Director, PBB, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc and Demola Mumuney, former captain of the Ikoyi Club Golf section, among many other distinguished personalities.

Speaking at the event, Mike Ikpoki, Chief Executive Officer, MTN Nigeria, reiterated the company’s unwavering commitment to the development of the game of golf in Nigeria. He also expressed delight at the massive turnout of golfers for the tourney and added that this it was a demonstration of how the company is poised to be an enabler to Nigerians and Nigeria as a country.

According to him, “Our sponsorship of golf is not just a unique opportunity to connect our high-value stakeholders but equally reinforces our role as an enabler of socio-economic development across several fronts in Nigeria. It is in furtherance of these goals we have created a bouquet of innovative products and value-adding services such as Diamond Y’ello Account, MTN Wifi Roaming, MTN OneBox, MTN App Store, MTN Xtra Time, MTN SME Plus and MTN Smart Number. These services are designed to empower business men, executives and leaders to achieve new heights in their individual and business aspirations” he added.

The golf enthusiast noted that by combining the power of MTN’s world-class data network and top of the range M2M service platform, the firm is demonstrating its commitment to providing innovative business solutions including device management, and control and monitoring tools to Corporate Nigeria.

At the exciting competition, the male Net category, saw Air Vice Marshal Monday Morgan, Commandant, Armed Forces Resettlement Centre, Oshodi, who played off Handicap 18, carded an impressive score of 91 gross and 73 net to finish tops, ahead of 14 handicapper, Shina Luwoye, who came second with 88 gross and 74 net, and Mukoro Voka, a 13 handicapper, who was third, with 87 gross and 74 net.

Playing off Handicap 30, Toyin Caxton-Martins, Executive Secretary, Ikoyi-Obalende LCDA, won the female net category, after carding 102 gross and 72 net. She was followed by 25 handicapper, Linda Obieze with 106 gross and 81 net and Olabisi Luwoye, a 22 handicapper with 106 gross and 84 net.

For their efforts, the winners received an all-expenses paid golfing weekend in George, South Africa, plus a trophy and three months data subscription bundle while the runners up were rewarded with a trophy as well as a golfing weekend at the Le Meridien Ibom Hotel & Golf Resort, Uyo and free one month data subscription.

In the Gross Men category, Peter Eben-Spiff, a two handicapper, came tops on the course with 79 gross and 77 net while in the women category, Kate Iketubosin, a 26 handicapper took home top honours with 101 gross and 75 net. Both winners went home with a trophy and all-expenses paid golfing weekend in Fancourt, George, South Africa’s premier golf resort with a free three months data subscription bundle.

In the Longest Drive to the Hole, Gui Zhi won in the male category while Kate Iketubosin came tops after lots were picked in the female category. Edward Egesi won the Nearest to the Pin competition.

As part of this maiden edition of the MTN Golf Championship, non-players of the game were treated to a clinic where they were taken through the rudiments of golf. They also competed among themselves for honors in the Longest Drive, Nearest to the Pin, Bunker shot and Approach shot categories.

Vernon Van Rooyen, COO, Vodacom; Mrs. Nneka Enwelu, CEO, Charleson Industrial Supplies Ltd and Ken Adejumoh of C&F Porter Novelli came first, second and third, respectively in the Longest Drive category. In the Nearest to the Pin and Approach shot categories, Hon Usman Bawa, Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Communications, came tops, with Femi Arosonoye and Adebayo Oyagbola, Principal Partner, Oyagbola Chambers came second and third, respectively. In the Bunker shot, Mrs Obosa Akpata was declared the winner with Vernon Van Rooyen and Wole Oladunjoye coming second and third, to round off an exciting day of golfing. All the winners received a 43-inch flat screen television and a trophy while the runners-up went home with refrigerators.

MTN’s commitment to the development of golf in Nigeria is well chronicled with its title sponsorship of the Nigerian edition of the World Golfers Championship, the world’s largest amateur golf tournament since 2007. With this inaugural tourney, MTN is set to cement its position as Nigeria’s leading brand in building a lasting legacy of support, partnership and exciting golfing experience in Nigeria.