NKRUMAH BANKONG-OBI/Lafia
The First Lady of Nasarawa State, Hajia Salifat Sule Abdullahi has called on women to embrace golf as way of enhancing the totality of their wellbeing. She said the game has all it takes to make women, whether they are mothers, wives or single, to build a complete health package of themselves. The governor’s wife gave this advice while speaking to the press shortly after she teed-off of the 2nd Ladies Golf Open In Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital on Thursday.
She called on women to find time to exercise themselves and not limit themselves to just being caregivers. She identified golf as one of those veritable exercises walkouts that can enhance their productivity at home or in their official engagements. “Golf is a very good game, especially as you are growing older, you enjoy yourself while playing it. It strengthens your muscles. I encourage ladies to join the golf club and they will see the difference,” Haji Sule advised,
MaryLinda Ogbole, Lady Captain of the Lafia Golf Club listed the profound befits of golfing to include; strengthening bonds and friendships, business networking, leisure and re-energisation and importantly, physical health. While encourage all and sundry to engage in golfing as an exercise, she countered the believe that the sport is a preserve of the elite and the high-heeled. She noted that the Lafia Golf Club doles kits to beginners. The Lady Captain called for more concerted efforts towards the education of the girlchild as they education certain has a wide ramification on the society. For this reason, Ogbole said, the Golf Club dedicates a section, particularly the lady segment to the propagation of education and empowerment of the girlchild.
That education, Ogbole noted will help the society to maintain balance. “They as mothers once they are educated, they will help to bring up the children in the right way and if you educate a girlchild, you are educating the whole society. So, I feel that they should never be left out, they should be given that opportunity.
Incoming President of the Lady Golf Association of Nigeria, LGAN, and current Vice President, Dr. Lami Onaya Ahmed appreciated the Lafia Golf Association for hosting the tourney after the first one. She also emphasized the utilitarian nature of the sport; “Golf is the game of life. Thus is a game you can play from age six to 99.9 so long as your legs can carry you. This is the only game you can play in a team for four hours in row, what else can you not achieve? I encourage ladies to come and play and I also encourage ladies to please encourage ladies to come and play
The Ladies Open which kicked off on Thursday 25 July will close on Sunday 28 July.