Fadhili Nkya, a professional golfer from the Gymkhana Club in Dar es Salaam, claimed victory at the highly anticipated Lina PG Tour tournament held in Morogoro this week.
The event, organized by the Nkya family in partnership with the Tanzania Ladies Golf Union (TLGU), brought together both professional and amateur golfers to honor Lina, a former TLGU leader who passed away four years ago. The tournament served as a tribute to her legacy and contributions to the sport.
Nkya's victory earned him a cash prize of 6.8 million Tanzanian Shillings. Frank Mwinuka from the Lugalo Club finished in second place, securing a prize of 4.3 million Tanzanian Shillings.
Abdallah Yusuph took third place, with a prize of 3.4 million Tanzanian Shillings, while Nuru Mollel placed fourth, earning 2.7 million Tanzanian Shillings. The fifth-place winner, Hassan Kadio, received 2.2 million Tanzanian Shillings.
In the amateur category, Enoshi Wanyeche from Lugalo Club emerged as the winner, taking home a prize of 2.2 million Tanzanian Shillings. Isiaka Daud secured second place with a prize of 1.3 million Tanzanian Shillings.
Fadhili Nkya spoke of the tough competition, noting that all the professional golfers were exceptionally well-prepared.
Despite the challenge, he thanked God for his triumph and credited his success to consistent daily practice and thorough preparation. He is now focusing on performing well in upcoming tournaments once the rainy season concludes.
"I am honored to be among those representing Tanzania in major tournaments, including in Dubai, and I’m training hard to perform at my best," Nkya said.
"However, we encourage sponsors to step forward and support the Lina PG Tour so we can continue hosting more tournaments."
Wanyeche, the amateur winner, praised the Lina PG Tour for providing valuable opportunities to players and positively influencing the sport of golf.
"Tanzania is home to many talented golfers who are often overlooked due to the lack of regular tournaments," he explained.
"The Lina PG Tour has revitalized the sport, and we hope more stakeholders will come forward to support our players and help them reach their full potential."
Said Nkya, the tournament chairman and head of the Nkya family, appealed for greater support from sponsors, emphasizing that such contributions would help improve players' skills through more competitions.
"We call on companies to sponsor this event to help develop the sport further. We also urge golf course owners to consider reducing their fees for tournaments," Nkya said.
Additionally, he urged the National Sports Council (BMT) and the government to encourage golf course leaders to create more opportunities for African players to train and compete, emphasizing the importance of collaboration in promoting the sport.
"We need to work together to promote golf and remove any barriers that hinder its development," he added.
Nkya also extended his gratitude to all the participants, congratulating those who didn’t win and encouraging them to continue competing in future events.
"We thank the Gymkhana Club in Morogoro for hosting the tournament and appreciate the efforts of the organizing team, led by my daughter Yasmin Chali. This has truly been a successful event," he concluded.