UNITED States-based Washington State-Zimbabwe Golf Association (WAZIGA), is set to stage a maiden three legged pre-Christmas Charity Open Golf Tournament across three Harare golf courses next month.
The WAZIGA charity event will take place on the 20th, 21st and 22nd of December at Borrowdale Brooke Golf Estate, Chapman Golf Club and Royal Harare Golf Club respectively; and it will cater for seven divisions including a ladies and a junior category.
WAZIGA was founded in March 2000 by Zimbabweans resident in the United States with the primary goal of bringing together Zimbabweans living in Washington State courtesy of an informal golf tournament that would be followed by a party in celebration of the Zimbabwean independence anniversary around April 18 of each year.
In 2000, only six players participated, but by 2002 the Zimbabwe Independence Golf Tournament (as it was called then) had grown to 18 players.
That year the founding members decided to donate the proceeds from the tournament to a charity organization in Zimbabwe. With the continued growth of successive tournaments, the founding members expanded the base of charity beneficiaries in Zimbabwe.
“When we started the tournament, our desire was to connect with each other as Zimbabweans away from home, but it was not long before we wanted more meaning from our common hobby. I believe that connecting with the charities that we have worked with so far has energised us even more than before,” WAZIGA co-founder and president, Jonathan Mvududu said.
To date, WAZIGA has been a consistent donor to orphans at St Werburghs Primary School in Mutare, Mother of Peace in Mutoko, Hope Tariro Hope Children's Orphanage in Chinhoyi, Alpha Cottage Orphanage in Masvingo, Emthunzini Wethemba Children's Orphanage in Bulawayo, and Trish's Vic Falls charity outreach. With increased capacity, WAZIGA hopes to gradually have a footprint in every province of the country.
In addition to supporting charitable organisations, WAZIGA took a particular interest in youth development in golf.
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“Youth development in golf is a project of passion for us and over the past few years. we have made efforts to identify and support upcoming golf talent in Zimbabwe and offer whatever support we can”, said Mvududu.
To this end, WAZIGA has facilitated and sponsored the travel of a number of young Zimbabwean golfers to play at the Doral Junior Tournament in the United States of America. These include Dumi Chitengwa, who represented Zimbabwe on a number of occasions, and Scott Vincent who has turned professional and now plays on the Japan Golf Tour, Asian Tour and LIV Golf.
Parallel to preparations for the Charity Championship in December, WAZIGA is running a golf clubs collection campaign to facilitate access to equipment for youngsters who have the talent, but may not have the resources to acquire the necessary tools of the game. WAZIGA’s drive is, initially, to make sure these youngsters have access to a full set of golf clubs as, and when they need to practise or play.
Mvududu explained that WAZIGA realised that, at present, access is a higher priority than ownership as it allows more young people the opportunity to play.
“We learnt through our various interactions that giving one child ownership of a set of golf clubs would help that one child and numerous others would still be standing on the side-lines with no capacity to enhance their skill. On the other hand, if we partner with golfing facilities who already run programmes to support upcoming talent and have them house the golf clubs, young people could come and sign them out for use as and when they needed. Rather like one would do when they borrow a book from a library,” he said.
To ensure that the association is aligned to the present needs in Zimbabwe, WAZIGA has a permanent representative in Allen Chiura who was an active member of the association in the USA before his return home.
As WAZIGA's ambassador in Zimbabwe, Chiura is positioned to ensure that the activities of the association achieve their intended results: to raise money for charity, to promote golf among the youth and to support the networking of Zimbabweans at home with Zimbabweans in the diaspora.
Past President of the Zimbabwe Golf Association, Mafingei Nyamwanza is the committee chairperson of the up-coming tournament, overseeing its overall professional running.
With participants coming from different parts of the world, the tournament presents itself as an opportunity to showcase Zimbabwean golf and Zimbabwe in general.
