Nchanga backpedals on golf tourney

NCHANGA Golf Club has withdrawn its intentions of staging a second Zambia Open Championship this year, leaving the mantle to Lusaka.

Zambia was supposed to stage two major international tournaments this year – in Lusaka and Chingola – but Nchanga opted to pull-out.

Nchanga’s Zambia Open Organising Committee (ZOOC) chairperson, Matthew Nkhuwa said the Chingola club decided to withdraw so as to avoid donor fatigue.

Nkhuwa said in an interview yesterday that there was a likelihood of both Lusaka and Nchanga golf clubs approaching the same sponsors for support.

He said as golfers, Nchanga wanted to be reasonable and avoid putting the would-be sponsors on the spot.

Nkhuwa, a former Zambia Golf Union (ZGU) president, said it was also important not to dilute the annual cosmopolitan tournament by splitting it in two but would instead support Lusaka to stage a successful 2013 event.

The immediate-past Nchanga president said the club would try to bid for the 2014 championship.

And Ndola and Nchanga golf clubs on Sunday took giant strides towards winning their regional season-opening Triangular tournaments after taking leads in the first legs.

With each team fielding 18 players, Ndola ground out 47 points from the first leg of the match play which they hosted.

Led by ZGU president, Charles Mwanza, Ndola were 11 points clear of their closest rivals, Mufulira, while Nkana were third on 25 points.

Former club captain, Felix Musonda, Godfrey Mbawala, Steve Mateyo, Robbie Sabbadin and Phil Munsaka were among others who won games each for Ndola.

Only four Ndola players failed to win a single match.

African Golf Confederation vice-president, Joe Malanji and former captain, Serge Kabaso also won four games each for Nkana but their good performance w

as undone by 10 of their colleagues who lost all their matches.

ZGU vice-president- north, Moses Chitoshi and his son each won twice for Mufulira but their scores were not enough to narrow the gap with Ndola.

In Chingola, Nchanga took a landslide victory from the first of their region where Konkola were no-shows.

Nchanga led by club president, John Zgambo registered 32 points with Chibuluma managing only four points.

The next round of the Triangular events will be two weeks with Nkana and Chibuluma hosting the second legs.