Disabled golfers ready to swing
Inter-schools festival offers younger players a chance to compete and hone their skills
ASPIRING young golfers with various disabilities will compete at the upcoming fourth annual Inter-Schools Western Cape Festival as part of the South African Disabled Golf Association’s (Sadga) First Swing Programme (FSP).
The festival takes place at the King David Mowbray Golf Club on October 8, starting at 10am, and the organisers say that supporters are welcome to come and cheer-on the players.
Sadga spokesperson Lily Reich said: “We are extremely excited about the upcoming event. We have six schools participating: Astra, Filia, Thembalethu and Eros from Cape Town, Carpe Diem from George and Eden School from Worcester.
“The participants absolutely love the day and the competition and its camaraderie awesome.”
All the young players competing in the FSP Inter-Schools Festival are from Western Cape-based schools, where the programme is run. Each participating school will have 10 physically disabled children competing.
Sponsored by Canon South Africa, the FSP Inter-Schools Festival is buoyed by the success of the 2016, 2017 and 2018 festivals, and Sadga’s vision to acknowledge young disabled golfers and inspire them to continue reaching for their dreams. The initiative is a platform that exposes children with disabilities to golf.
“We have 35 schools on our programme nationally, with about 750 children benefiting every week, of which eight are deaf schools.
“The inter-schools event that we just had was for the more severely physically disabled golfers. The deaf inter-schools will be happening from November 24-29 in Magaliespark.
“We choose three of the top rookies from the schools and take them to a tournament/training camp. Winners of this tournament then get to play in the Canon SA Disabled Golf Open, which is a 54-hole, three-day tournament that is our flagship event and attracts local and international (talent),” said Reich.
Canon SA spokesperson Dana Eitzen said the business was delighted to once again be part of bringing the FSP Inter-Schools festivals to fruition.
“These competitions are immensely spirited. The children revel at the chance to be part of the action and show off their golfing skills. It is gratifying to see how their confidence and abilities have grown over the years.”
The primary focus of the FSP programme is on the rehabilitation and psychological development of disabled children. The programme also arranges this inter-schools tournament to give young players an opportunity to participate in competitions.
Provincial tournaments are also hosted annually for elite golfers.