No fewer than 144 amateur golfers are posed to compete for honours in a 18-hole stroke play format at the maiden NIESV Open Gold Tournament in Abuja.

The two-day Nigeria Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, Abuja Branch, tournament, is being played at the IBB International Gold and Country Club.

Julius Fadero, the competition secretary, IBB Golf Club, said the two-day tourney, promises to be exciting and competitive “as so many players have turned up in their numbers to compete for honours in the different handicap categories.

“Everyone is expected to play 18 holes each over a two-day period and the players who post the lowest scores will emerge as winners in the various categories,” he said.

Ikenna Aghaji, the Chairman NIESV Abuja Branch, says the tournament will create more awareness for the sport and the association.

Mr Aghaji made the remarks on Friday, in Abuja, at the sidelines of the tee-off ceremony of the NIESV Abuja Chairman’s Open Golf Tournament.

The tournament is expected to end on Saturday with presentation of prizes to the overall champion as well as winners in different categories.

The chairman said the tournament, which was the first of its kind by the NIESV in Abuja, was part of it advocacy and awareness campaign.

“This golf tourney is indeed the first of its kind organised by the NIESV Abuja branch and one of my strategies to rebrand and repackage our branch.

“It is also one of the ways in which we intend to carry out our advocacy activities by bringing sports and real estate together.

“We are aware that there are so many personalities who are involved in golf but do not know much about real estate.

“Even the elites look at estate surveyors and valuers as agents, but the truth is that we do much more than that.

“So, this is an opportunity for us to let the public know who we are and what we do, while we keep fit and enjoy the game of golf together,” he said.

(NAN)