By Moses Ebosele, ebosele@hotmail.com —
As part of measures to foster sports development and promote the game of golf in the country, Kia Nigeria in partnership with the Indian Golfers Association of Nigeria (IGAN) on Thursday rolled out plans for this year’s Indian Golf Cup tournament scheduled to hold at the renowned Ikoyi Golf Course between 25th and 30th October, 2021.
A statement sent to City Business News explained that the Indian Golf Cup attracts both expatriate and indigenous professional golfers and caddies from across the nation “to jostle for medals and this year’s grand prize for the ‘hole in one’ winner is the all-new 2022 Kia Seltos SUV in partnership with Custodian and Allied Insurance Limited”.
Part of the statement read: “Kia’s partnership with the India Golf Cup tournament is a boost for the brand’s sports marketing activities in Nigeria following sporting initiatives such as its sponsorship of the prestigious Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, amongst others”.
Mathews Kuruvilla, General Manager, Sales & Commercial, Kia Nigeria, said: “High-profile sports marketing initiatives have become a core element of our marketing strategy, and the increased exposure and enhanced brand awareness the Indian Golf Cup tournament brings forth made it an easy decision to partner with the organizers on this year’s Indian Championship, one of the most coveted events at the Ikoyi Club’s golf section calendar. We are pleased to bring the fun and excitement of world-class and highly revered competition to golf fans in Nigeria.”
The tournament, organized by the Indian Golfers Association of Nigeria (IGAN) helps to highlight the strong attachment the members of the Indian community have with Nigeria and how the event can promote the game of Golf as a functional sport in Nigeria.
“Year after year, Kia continues to increase its market share in Nigeria with its value and transformative design. Like Kia, golfers make the ‘Movement that Inspires’ both on and off the golf course. We are extremely happy to be a part of this tournament and we hope that this partnership with the Indian Golfers Association of Nigeria (IGAN) will further strengthen the ties of our brand with the golf communities, particularly both Nigeria and Indian communities, and ultimately celebrate the unity in the diversity of the communities’ cultures. We’re pleased to associate with the Custodian Insurance and IGAN, this partnership underscores our brand’s conviction on the role of sports, particularly golf, in enabling national unity, and socio-economic development,” added Mathews.
Keshab Vaswani, a member of the organizing committee for this year’s edition said the event seeks to deepen and strengthen the relationship between the Indian community and their hosts through the game of golf.
He said that the proceeds from the tournament provide a window to give back to society. “A number of Indian and Nigerian corporates see this event as a tool to strengthen their ties with the country and give back to the society. The richness of both cultures is celebrated through the game of golf,” further stressed.
The lush green Golf Course of Ikoyi Club 1938, Lagos is within the 456 acres of land, providing first-class facilities for about 10,000 members. The tournament will commence on the 25th and end on the 30th of October when the golfers compete for the trophy. Several of the A-list open and close golf tournaments/championships are hosted at the Club and this year’s Indian Golf Cup promises to be fun-filled and enthralling for all.
