Tanzania Golf Union elects new leadership today

Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Golf Union (TGU) today elects its new leaders, who will be in office for the next three years.

Its elections will take place at the Morogoro Gymkhana Club, where all eyes and ears will be directed to the chairman’s position.

The body’s chairmanship is contested by two famous senior golfers, Gilman Kasiga of the Lugalo Golf Club and Abdallah Singano of the Dar es Salaam Gymkhana Club.

Both aspirants have promised to take the game to the next level of development if elected to the post.

For his part, Kasiga said if he wins the post, he will first focus on juniors’ programme development, aiming to produce future golfers from schools and communities as the clusters of recruitment.

Kasiga said his second priority would be adult recruitments from both public and private sectors by emphasizing on the benefits of exercising and networking.

“If you’re not networking, it means you’re not working. I believe there are many adults who are interested in joining the game and be part of the golf community in the country,” said Kasiga.

He said, if elected, he will increase the number and quality of professional golfers in the country.

He explained that professional golfers are normally regarded as the coaches of junior and adult players.

“Training is very important, therefore, it is strategically necessary to have a plan that guarantees the welfare of professional golfers who are the key to my first and second priorities,” said Kasiga.

He noted that his strategies will centre on the short-term, mid-term and long-term goals of Tanzania’s golf.

“Golf is a game of integrity or ethics and respect hence we shall be guided by the King IV principles which are ethical leadership, sustainable development, organisation in society, corporate citizenship, stakeholders inclusivity, integrated thinking and integrated reporting,” he said.

For his part, Singano pledged to promote and exponentially expand golf’s footprint in Tanzania if he wins the post.

He said, through his marketing professional career, he has played a huge role over the years in influencing corporate companies to feature in golf, including securing corporate sponsorship for golf tournaments.

He said his vision is to ensure that Tanzania becomes an active golf nation on the African continent by offering more opportunities to participants to start, stay and succeed in the game.

He explained that during his time as the chairman of TGU’s marketing committee in 2013, he managed to lead the team to promote the sport in different media houses before becoming the secretary of the Dar es Salaam Gymkhana Club golf section in 2014.

“I have a set of goals and objectives if I’m elected chairman. It’s an inside-out approach seeking to strengthen golf, first and foremost, within individual clubs along with promoting the sport from the public’s point of view.

“One of the key focus areas will be in youth development in all the clubs across the country, we would want to see the youth pick up the game of golf regardless of their background.

“This will thus ensure that we have a young golfing nation with a team that can compete in and outside the country,” said Singano.

He added that club development is also the top priority of his, if elected, where key focus will be placed on golf management and golf coaching alongside helping clubs to promote development.

He also says he believes that for all this to be achieved, there needs to be the involvement of all member clubs, corporate companies and international bodies such as R&A.

Singano noted that with his marketing background, he can create ideal platforms within the sport to entice corporate companies to sponsor the sport and thus injecting funds into the sport in order for it to develop.

“It would be a win-win situation for both parties,” he added.

Apart from the two, Enock Magile of the Lugalo Golf Club and Prudence Kamugisha of the Arusha Gymkhana Club are contesting the post of vice chairman while Imani Alfayo of the Arusha Gymkhana Club and Dickson Dominick of the Morogorogo Gymkhana Club are v vying for the post of honorary secretary general.

Also, on the list of aspirants are Sigfrid Sengeu of the Lugalo Golf Club, who is contesting the post of treasurer while Ernest Sengeu of the Lugalo Golf Club has found himself being the sole candidate for the post of competition secretary. However, the position of handicap secretary has no aspirant.