Africa-Press – Tanzania. ARUSHA Gymkhana Golf Club player Aftab Singh Neote beat tough rivals to win Diplomatic Golf overall title at Kili club course in Arusha over the weekend.
Neote won the title race with 74 aggregate stable ford points in the 36-holes showdown. Besides the coveted trophy, the winner was also awarded a golf set from Galaxy Paints and Tanzania Tourism Board (TTB) bag.
He also won Division C title. The event’s Chief Guest was East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA) Speaker Martin Ngoga who handed over all prizes to the winners.
The two-day golf championship also decorated the former Tanzania Golf Union(TGU) Chairman, Joseph Tango who won the Division A title with 73 stable ford points.
He was awarded a business class air ticket by Fly to Dubai Company. The runner up prize went to Kili Club golfer, Simon Travers who penned 73 stable ford points.
Riyaz Somji who carved 70 points grabbed the Division B title ahead of the second-placed Muzaffa Yusufali who returned 66 points.
The runner up prize for the Division C category went to Harbhajan Chadha who carded 72 points. The efforts of Dar es Salaam Gymkhana Club youth Arshid Esmail at least started to pay off during his maiden event.
He managed to win lucky draw Fly to Dubai return ticket. The Ladies Division winner was Neema Olomi of Arusha who posted 68 points. She was also awarded business class ticket to Dubai while Vicky Elias from Lugalo finished second with 67 points.
Junior Division title went to Shane Pandet who brought impressive 64 points while John Kasegenya who penned 42 points, finished the runner up. The Senior player’s award was won by Harbajan Chadha. The Diplomatic golf was a charity event that brought together golfers from USA, Australia, Canada, Belgium, Netherlands, England, China, Kenya, India, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Uganda and Tanzania.
The Sunday lady winner prize went to Ndobellah Sikwattah as Godfrey Onyango came second while Teji Bansal finished third overall.
The Saturday’s top prizes winner was DS Handa, Simran Pal Singh finished second and the third place went to Mark Ocitti.
This year’s tournament received massive support from Radiowave, Germin, Fly Dubai, CRDB, Galaxy, Gran Melia, Kili Villa, Sound of Silence and EUBG.
Others were Tanfoam, Hanspaul/ HIL/DSH/HAL, Songea Mississippi, AMREF, Rhotia Valley, Blink, Johnny Walker, Lemala, Siringit, Greenside, Mount Kilimanjaro Safari, Jibu, Nimali, Insight, Dolphin, Sanaa, Multchoice and Dekker.
The EALA Speaker commended the Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Damas Ndumbaro for creating a wonderful idea and implementing it perfectly.
He said: Before he left as Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Ndumbaro had formed golf team within EALA Parliament, I was wandering if this initiatives that meant to bring together Diplomats is going to survive, now at the new portfolio I know it has found the rightful home, we salute him.”
Minister Ndumbaro also thanked Ngoga for his call and come to officially close the event.
