Golf: Kwakye, Zhang triumph at Ghana-China golf
Ghana’s Gyimah Kwakye clinched the first prize in the scrach event of the maiden Ghana-China friendly invitational golf tournament after returning a gross score of 79 at last Saturday’s 18-hole event at the Tema Country Golf Course.
Chinese Zhang Deliang won the handicap event with a net score of 58, beating compatriots Chu Shuntang (65) and Hu Jianping 67.
The competition, dubbed Avic International Cup and which has been proposed to be a regular feature on the local golf calendar, saw Li De Xiang (81) and Guo Zhi (84) win the second and third prizes respectively in the scratch event.
Organisers said the tournament was designed as a platform for interaction between Ghanaian and Chinese nationals to share ideas in matters of sports, business and more.
Indeed, the powerful assemblage included China’s ambassador to Ghana Gong Jiangzhong, and his wife, Counsellor Gao Wenzhi of China, Ghana’s Lepowura Alhaji M.N.D. Jawura, alongside representatives of various ministries and departments.
Wang Xiu Yuo, wife of Ambassador Gong, won the prize for the longest drive in the ladies’ division, while Wang Qingyun, wife of the Economic Chancellor of China, won the prize for closest to pin play in the ladies’ game.
Ghana’s Victor Asante won the men’s longest drive prize, while China’s Zhang Deliang won the closest to pin prize in the men’s game.
Ambassador Gong Jiangzhong said afterwards that China and Ghana needed to collaborate to take advantage of each other’s strengths in sports for their mutual development.
He said the two countries had a lot to learn from each other’s cultures and traditions to impact their own development programmes.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic after last Saturday’s Ghana-China friendly invitational golf tournament at the Tema Country Golf Course, Mr Gong said the two countries had a lot to share in sports and beyond.
He said the impressive turnout by citzens of the two countries for the tournament reserved for amateurs had created a friendly environment which could only be built upon.
“We must make use of such fora to establish greater cooporation between the two countries and among our citizenry,” he said.
Counsellor Gao said the golf tournament must become a regular feature between citizens of the two countries to create friendly relations among them.
By Michael Quaye/Graphic Sports/Ghana
