By KATE OBODO
All roads lead to Ibori golf and country club, Asaba Delta state where Vanguard's former golf writer late Richard Animam will be honoured with a two-day golf tournament which will tee-off March 24 and 25.
The initiator of the event Evergreen project and former Captain of the club, Barrister Daniel Mayuku told Sunday Vanguard sports that the tournament is to honour the late Animam who died on January 17, 2011 and also in recognition of his immense contribution to the growth of the game through his consistent and unbiased reportage, a contribution that ought not to go in vain.
According to Barister Mayuku, "Evergreen initiative is about three years old and this is our second outing. It was initiated when I was the captain of the Ibori Golf and Country Club of Asaba. The purpose is to encourage and celebrate people who have contributed immensely to the world of golf in Nigeria and the late Animam happens to be amongst those who had helped to promote the game through his unbiased reportage while he was alive.
And as it is known, golf is not as popular as it is with other sports in Nigeria. So we used it as a tool to encourage people especially young people to take to golf and the only way we have been able to do that is through publicity.
Continuing he said, "The late Animam has done well and deserved to be honoured for his hard work. Our first outing was when we lost a former number one golfer, Ali Abdullahi and Christain Godfrey( the two professional golfers who died a year before (Animam) on May 16, 2010 in a motor accident) and the late Animam was on our mind, because there was no golf event that he does not get involved in. We would have done this before now (last year) but due to some political engagements.
"The truth is that he is one of the best golf reporters we have ever had in Nigeria. He was a warm personality and he had friends across the golf circuit and that is why we are organizing it,"he stressed.
Mayuku said many golf followers who used to read his weekly stories on Saturday in the Vanguard felt his absence and believed Ibori Golf and Country Club has not done enough for the writer.
The two-day event will feature important personalities in the world of golf. The professionals would play alongside members of Ibori Golf and Country Club. The highlight of the two day event would see members attempt to raise funds for the daughter of the late writer Miracle Animam who lost her mother earlier before Animam passed on.
Vanguard Nigeria