BY THE ARUSHA NEWS REPORTER
Tanzania Golf Union (TGU) President Gilman Kasiga has warned that players who confirm their participation in official tournaments but fail to turn up will be banned from future competitions.
Kasiga issued the warning last weekend during the Arusha Open Golf Tournament prize-giving ceremony at the Arusha Gymkhana Club.
He said players who had confirmed their participation in the Arusha Open but failed to appear would initially be required to pay half of the tournament participation fee. Repeat offenders could then be barred from taking part in all TGU tournaments.
“It is unfair for players to confirm their participation and then fail to show up. This places a considerable burden on the organisers,” Kasiga said.
He also emphasised the importance of promoting young golfers, saying youth development was fundamental to the long-term sustainability and growth of the sport in Tanzania.
Kasiga cited leading female golfers such as Madina Iddi and Neema Omar as examples of players who emerged through youth development programmes and have gone on to excel in competitions within and outside the country.
Earlier, Reliance Insurance Acting Chief Executive Officer Rukiya Goronga assured participants and TGU officials that the company would continue sponsoring the Arusha Open.
Reliance Insurance has sponsored the tournament for the past eight years.
Before the prize-giving ceremony, players, officials and visitors observed a minute of silence in honour of the late Reliance Insurance Chief Executive Officer Ravi Shankar, who passed away earlier this year.
Shankar was the guest of honour at the seventh edition of the Arusha Open last year, where he presented prizes to the tournament winners.
