By Victor Essang
Uyo
As Ibom Golf and Country Club rounds off its Captain’s Day Inaugural Golf Tournament, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Ibom Air, the official sponsor of the tournament has expressed the commitment of the company to ensure it drives the vision of the governor on tourism.
Mr George Uriesi disclosed this during the closing ceremony of the tournament on Saturday which took place at Ibom Icon hotels in Uyo.
Uriesi said, “we decided to sponsor the tournament to promote our business. Our business is about people wanting to travel and any reason that make people want to travel to Uyo is directly related to us
“We are very keen to fully exploit all the opportunities for people to travel. We want to host every sporting event, we want to bring everybody here.
“The more people are coming here, the more Ibom air is growing, is a symbiotic relationship, we don’t just sponsor because we have money, is an investment in the business”, he said
The COO, who noted that travelling is the major way to impact people, commended past leaders of the state who saw the need for people to travel through building infrastructures that promote tourism such as Ibom air airline which is responsible for bringing most of the visitors to the State, adding, “It’s been continuous process of building infrastructure for tourism”
Commenting on why they sponsor the tournament, Uriesi, said “we need people to travel and come and spend money, that’s the whole idea of sponsoring the tournament and other thing is to increase the number of fleets coming to Akwa Ibom”
He said the tournament was a platform that created opportunities for people to travel to the state, thereby boosting the tourism sector of the state.
The COO, who disclosed, “we are about to start a new terminal that is big and the best in the country, lauded Gov Umo Eno for investing in the airport, Ibom hotel, international conference center and stadium to boost Tourism in the state”
Commenting on the premier sporting event, Uriesi, who said the tournament is one of the steps to reposion the club to be number one, not just in Nigeria but in west Africa, added that Ibom golf has become a major tourism driver for Akwa Ibom.
The Captain of Ibom Golf and Country Club (IGCC), Mr Isua Archibong, described the event as wonderful for the golf community in Akwa Ibom state
Archibong said, “Captain’s day tournament is a day usually set aside by golf clubs across the world to honour the executive of the club. This is the first time we are having it in Ibom Golf and Country Club.
He aid golf is not a game for the elites as many insinuate but for all comers with a lot of benefits, including economic and health benefits.
Archibong who mentioned the theme of the years tournament as Golf and tourism said “we are trying to key into his Excellency tourism plan for the state and if we achieve our goal as a club to make Akwa Ibom the golf destination of Nigeria or the golf destination of west Africa , we would have added significantly to the economic value of golf and tourism of Akwa Ibom state.
The captain, who said, “we are complementing the government’s efforts in driving tourism,” noted, “we can clearly see the multiplier effect of this tournament on the state’s economy”.
He thanked the state government for the infrastructure and the plans to renovate the hotel and golf course
Apart from making the state a golf destination in Nigeria, the captain announced plans to use golf to drive tourism.
Also speaking, the Lady Captain, Maryanne Cephas, who expressed excitement said she has been able to bring together a lot of women and announced plans have first Ibom ladies open that will attract lot of women from outside the country.
“We have been able to bring a lot of members. Before now we did not have a lot of female golfers, but now we have about 35 ladies golfers and we still have more that are coming in.
“The lady section is going to built in such a way that the day o will set aside, the person that will be coming in to take the baton would have to do more and run with it”, she said.
The tournament, which was hosted on one of West Africa’s most renowned 18-hole golf course in Akwa Ibom State, attracted golfers from across Nigeria and Africa. High point of the event was dinner/ presentation of prizes to winners
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