Malawi Open title in sight for Dar ladies

Dar es Salaam. As this year’s Malawi Ladies Open looms, Tanzanian golfers are bubbling with confidence ahead of the championship.

Four top female golfers, including the 2017 Nigeria Ladies Open champions Angel Eaton, will represent Tanzania in the tournament, which tees off on Friday at the Lilongwe Golf Club course.

Also on the list are Sophia Viggo, Anitha Siwale and Vicky Elias.

Sherida Chilipachi and Neema Olomi, who also had shown interest in the competing in the three-day championship, have opted to skip it due to what they described as ‘unavoidable circumstances.’

While Eaton is expected to leave for Malawi today, Vicky Elias has already arrived in Lilongwe ahead of what promises to be a thrilling championship.

Viggo and Siwale leave for Malawi tomorrow. This will be the first time for Tanzanian golfers to compete in the event, which features elite golfers from around the African continent.

Eaton, one of the players tipped to sparkle in the championship, says she will make a strong push to become the first Tanzanian golfer to ever win the Malawi Ladies Open.

Speaking to The Citizen yesterday, Eaton said her target is to crown the title despite the challenges they are facing in their career.

“I am in great shape. I know that I will be up against top golfers from around the continent, but I am ready for the challenge,” the 2017 Uganda Ladies Open champion said confidently.

For her part, the Tanzania Ladies Golf Union (TLGU) honorary secretary, Anitha Siwale, said she was optimistic the young ladies will shine in the championship.

She said lack of sponsorship was one of the major factors behind the failure by some local golfers to compete in international competitions abroad.

“A host Tanzanian golfers had shown interest in competing in the Malawi Ladies Open, but lack of sponsorship has forced them to skip the championship,” said Siwale.

The Malawi championship has been sponsored Sparc Systems – a multinational information technology company, operating across Africa.

The firm’s head of Sales and Marketing, Alena Chiwaya, was quoted as saying from Lilongwe that they were not new on the golf scenery.

“We have been sponsoring golf before on a club level,” she said. She added: “We have been sponsoring ladies, junior and open golf tournaments before.

“So we are excited to be part of this partnership because the championship will attract players from various countries across the continent.”

The golfers will battle it out for top honours in four categories including, A Division, Division B and junior girls.