TWENTY-NINE-year-old golfer from the Tafo Golf Club, Christopher Mbii, put up an exciting performance to win the men’s group A category of the MTN Okyehene’s 20th Anniversary Invitational golf tournament held on the lush green turf of the Tafo Golf Club in the Eastern Region.
The one-day 9 holes stableford tournament, which featured over 90 golfers from golf clubs across the country, formed part of activities marking Osagyefuo Nana Amoatia Ofori Panin’s 20th anniversary celebrations since his ascension to the Ofori Panin throne.
Mbii, playing under handicap four, returned a stableford points of 40 to beat his closest rival Kofi Akyene of the Royal Golf Club, Kumasi, to second place after the latter, 38 stableford points in the end, leaving Ekow Nyarko in third place with 37 stableford points – with Kofi Yeboah coming in fourth place with a stableford points of 36.
In the women’s Group, A category enterprising Constance Awuni from the Royal Golf Club in Kumasi proved too strong for her fellow club mate Felicity Okyei-Gyeabour, beating her by only two points after returning a stableford points of 34 as against 32 stableford points by the latter to be crowned champion.
The men’s Group B category saw Nash Antwi of the Achimota Golf Club returning a stableford points of 40 to place first above Kofi Gyimah from the Tafo Golf Club who finished 37 points while Mike Adu Domfeh of the Royal Golf Club and Nana Yaw Bamfo of the Bok Nam Kim Golf Club came in third and fourth places respectively with 32 and 30 points.
Celebrity Golf Club’s lady captain, Helen Appah, swept the top prize in the Ladies Group B event beating Gladys Awuni of the Tema Country Golf Club with 32 points as against 29.
In the senior’s category, Charles Martey returned 38 points to place first ahead of Joe Dadson who earned 30 points while Margaret Oduro earned 21 points to carry the day in the ladies event.
Jerry Tetteh of the Achimota Golf Club and Elizabeth Captan of the Tafo Golf Club won the longest drive awards in the male and female categories while Mbii crowned a fine day with the closest to the pin award and Constance Awuni picking that of the ladies.
All the winners on the day received trophies, and souvenir from headline sponsors MTN Ghana.
Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin II presented special awards as well as an autographed Akyem Abuakwa history book authored by Robert Addo-Fening to the president of the Tafo Golf Club Mr Prince Kofi Amoabeng, business magnate and the Executive Chairman of Jonah Capital, Sir Sam Jonah, for their support for him as well as for the game of golf in the country.
Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin II described golf as his first love, and called on those at the helm of affairs of the sport to make sure it is grown and improved in the country, adding that it is a sport that changes lives and character hence introducing it to the young men and women would serve a huge beneficial purpose for the country in the not too distant future.
While expressing his profound appreciation to MTN Ghana for their continuous support for the Ofori Panin fie and the Traditional Abuakwa Council as well as the sport of golf which dates back over a decade, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin II stated that “when my history is written, I would love golf to play a major part in that history.”
In a speech read on his behalf by the Acting Corporate Services Executive at MTN, Robert Kojo Kwuam Kuzoe, the board chairman of MTN Ghana, Mr Ishmael Yawson, commended the Overlord of the Akyem Abuakwa traditional Area and an avid golf player for his reign which, he noted, had been characterised by numerous initiatives – resulting from a deep understanding of the socio-economic needs of not only the Okyenman people but indeed, the country as a whole.
He announced a GH¢100,000 cash donation to the Ofori Panin Stool to commemorate the anniversary celebrations.
BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY
