AfricaPress-Tanzania: FEARS of overweight has gripped the country’s top golfers at this time when sports activities have been suspended worldwide due to Covid-19 scare with some decided working even harder to avoid it.
Speaking from their homes, the golfers said they sense a huge growth in their weight as some of them do very little in terms of physical and skills training.
Tanzania People Defense Forces (TPDF) Lugalo Golf Club of Dar es Salaam member, Vicky Elias, said her case is more serious as she daily walked over six kilometres to cover the 18 holes of the course.
“Now I just stay at home doing almost nothing or minor home chores. I fear I might succumb to obesity and maybe forget my beautiful swing after the end of the Covid-19 scare,” she said.
With a putting hole made close to his home, Tanzania’s top amateur Victor Joseph told the ‘Sunday News’ that a single-hole putting exercise doesn’t help him to meet the level of training that keeps his body perfect for golfing.
“I sense I am gaining much weight and this can be very harmful to my body and golfing skills. But I don’t blame anyone since this is part of the campaign to combat further spread of coronavirus,” said Joseph, a national team captain, the Dar Gymkhana Club player.
“The one thing that all athletes have in common is that at some point, our bodies are going to give way and it seems to happen with most players. Some still look like they’re in good playing shape. But I’d be willing to say most of athletes, including golfers are likely to increase much their weight,” he added.
National ladies team golfer, Madina Iddi, who has not played golf for over five weeks now, said the Covid-19 forced her change way of life.
“I don’t train anymore since I have locked myself at home. Studies at least give me some relief, but it is the body exercise especially playing golf I miss a lot,” Arusha Gymkhana Club (AGC) golfer said.
“I had to change ways of life to avoid gain more weight; I reduce my portion to small one and work hard at other body exercises,” added the 2018 All Africa Challenge Trophy (AACT) individual Champions.
Lugalo Ladies Captain Hawa Wanyeche stressed that she has no room to allow her body gain any needless weights.
“I’m doing lot of exercises at home like skipping rope, press ups, dancing and others, I hate being overweight,” she said.
Charming Wanyeche, who is also a national team captain traded a joke: “This Covid-19 crisis is making life so difficult, I can tell you at the end it all, we will have counted and recorded the number of all rats and cockroaches at home.”
Former Uganda Ladies Open Champion Neema Olomi of AGC said she cannot see any signs of her gaining weight during this period of sports inactiveness.
“I’m not gaining any weight and not expecting to… life stress is already taking me on a ride together with family responsibilities on my shoulder. I also do other exercises at home,” said Olomi.
Tanzania Ladies Golf Union (TLGU) Vice-President Anita Siwale, who is based in Morogoro, is fortunate that her course is not closed but she misses company from friends.
“I continue to take rounds of golf but with care, I play alone with no any company, it is difficult we fear each other, can’t make friends like we used to,” said Siwale, who trains at Morogoro Gymkhana Club.
