AfricaPress-Tanzania: TANZANIA top amateur golfer, Victor Joseph said he has been forced to make a single hole course at his home at this time when almost all golf courses are closed.
The course and other sports arenas have been closed as the government’s directive to avoid further spread of coronavirus.
Joseph said he has resorted to conduct no-contact training at his home to keep himself safe from Covid-19. Speaking to this paper yesterday, the golfer said he is forced to conduct training in teeing off and putting at his home so as to keep fit.
Joseph, the Tanzania’s top amateur golfer said he trains in order to keep himself fit for Magical Kenya Golf Open whose date would be announced later after the end of Coronavirus threat.
Speaking from his Kijitonyama home in Dar es Salaam, Joseph said that his training mostly dwell on tee shot and putting as they are easily done in a closed area.
“Making a golf hole is easiest thing one can do, I have a putter that enables me putt easily. But making a tee short is still a problem because I can’t get a ground of over 150m for the exercise,” said Joseph.
Joseph, however, is still hopeful that coronavirus threat will be alleviated and he and other golfers will be able to resume sports activities.
Adding, Joseph said in additional to no-contact training, he has been reading golf rules and watching videos of world golf stars which he said helped him a lot.
Joseph and his fellow golfers said they support the government’s decision to suspend all sports and social events that draw huge crowd as a move to avoid the spread of the Covid-19.
Joseph urged other golfers to keep training during this break because not doing that will cost them dearly when the situation returns to normal.
Others engaged in home training are Issa Juma from TPDF Lugalo and the upcoming youth Juma Ally from Arusha Gymkhana club.
Like Joseph, Juma Ally who resides at Mbezi Beach in Dar e Salaam who said putting on a hole is the easiest and manageable training which he has been doing this time when all golf courses are closed.
“That’s the best thing I can do at this moment, but we have all to join the fight against Covid-19,” he said.
The closure of the golf courses has deeply affected caddies too as they wholly depend on the courses. Most caddies who spoke to this paper said they daily earn between 40,000/-and 60,000/-per 18-hole round.
“Our life has become very tough now as we don’t have any more means of income,” said Joseph Ally, who has served as a caddy at Dar es Salaam, Gymkhana Club for over ten years.
