Golfers from Edenvale represented their countries when they competed in the All-Africa Golf Team Championships (AAGTC) in Zimbabwe.
The four golfers from the Balderstone Sports Institute – Gilbert Chalwe, Adrian Andrade, Mongiwetfu Masuku and Thomo Mokgatle – represent Zambia, the Seychelles, Eswatini and Botswana, respectively.
The championships run from October 27 to November 2 at the Bulawayo Golf Club.
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The AAGTC is a bi-annual continental golf tournament uniting golfers from across Africa in a display of sportsmanship and skill. Each of the African countries competing fields its top four golfers.
Leading up to their departure for the championship, the NEWS spoke to three of the four golfers, who shared their excitement and hopes.
“It feels great; nothing beats playing for your country, and I think we all have our expectations. For me, it’s just going out there and doing what we set out to do. We are playing for our countries and ourselves,” said Masuka.
Mokgatle said he feels privileged to represent Botswana in a tournament of such magnitude.
“At the end of the day, all we can do is try our hardest and do the best we can.”
Similarly, Chalwe said he feels blessed and excited to represent Zambia.
“I plan on going out there and doing my best; God will do the rest.”
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Fifteen-year-old Mokgatle, who has played golf for four years, said he used to be a football player.
“When the Covid-19 pandemic happened, I tried playing a different sport, and it happened to be golf,” said Mokgatle.
He said what he enjoys about the sport is that golfers need to rely on themselves.
“There is no one else to blame. You make your own decisions and don’t need to rely on others to perform well,” said Mokgatle.
Masuka, who has played for 12 years, said he started playing because of his father.
“My dad used to play with his mates, and I would often join them,” said Masuka.
Like Mokgatle, Masuka also played football and participated in athletics.
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“I started playing golf full-time during Covid-19, and it was perfect because it was a no-contact sport. From there, I fell in love with the game.”
He said he enjoys that the sport is physically and emotionally demanding.
“It requires every ounce of your strength. You need to be at the gym with a mental coach and push yourself by practising to perform at the highest levels.”
Chalwe, who has played golf for eight years, was inspired to take up the sport by a friend who played golf.
“My high school friend played golf and would often travel to other countries. I thought I might like to do that, so I took up the sport and fell in love with it.”
He said he enjoys the amount of thinking and calculations involved in golf.“Golf is a game where you must think and calculate where and how you will hit the ball. It’s challenging, and I love to face challenges.”
While at the tournament, the golfers hope to do their best and make their countries proud.
