Barclays increases Kenya Open sponsorship
Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala tees off from Kenyatta Conventional Centre Helipad during the launch of Kenya Open Golf tournament on January 24, 2018. The tournament will be held in March. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |
What you need to know:
- Sh50 million will be sponsorship for the Open whose prize fund has been increased from 220,000 Euro(Sh27.5m) to 500,000( about Sh62.5 million), making it the richest event in the 29-events European Challenge Tour series.
- This year’s event will also see the inaugural ‘Winner’s Jacket’ handed over in the style of the famous Master’s Green Jacket at Augusta USA. This jacket will be designed by local designers.
The Barclays Bank of Kenya has committed a total of Sh82 million towards this year’s Barclays Kenya Open scheduled for March 22 to 25 at Muthaiga Golf Club.
Of the total amount, Sh50 million will be sponsorship for the Open whose prize fund has been increased from 220,000 Euro(Sh27.5m) to 500,000( about Sh62.5 million), making it the richest event in the 29-events European Challenge Tour series.
The remaining Sh32 million will go towards a six-tournament series involving amateur and junior golfers as part of the build up towards the Open. The Kenya Open, which was started in 1967, is marking its 50th anniversary which kicked off with the ceremonial ‘Tee Off’ from the roof top of the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) building in Nairobi on Wednesday.
Speaking before the ceremonial 'Tee Off’, Barclays managing director Jeremy Awori said the Open has produced great golfers who have won major events in the world. The bank has been the title sponsor of the premier golfing event since 2011.
“2018 marks the most memorable of milestones for the Barclays Kenya Open as it reaches its 50th Anniversary and in this most special of years, I know everybody involved in the organising of this magnificent event is working towards making it the biggest and most memorable of the European Challenge Tour 2018 calendar,” said Awori.
WINNER'S JACKET
This year’s event will also see the inaugural ‘Winner’s Jacket’ handed over in the style of the famous Master’s Green Jacket at Augusta USA. This jacket will be designed by local designers.
The amateur series, launched in Eldoret last year, will feature the Nairobi Open at the Karen Golf Club on February 2, followed by the Nakuru Open at the Nakuru Golf Club on February 10, and the Kisumu Open at the Nyanza Golf Club on February 24.
Meanwhile, the government through the ministries of Tourism and Sports has set a side a total of $1million (Sh102 million) towards the prize fund of the Kenya Open.
The money will be spread within five years, meaning the government will top up Sh20 million every year for the next five years starting with the 2018 event.
This is in response to President Uhuru Kenyatta’s challenge last year at Muthaiga where he asked the event organisers to increase the prize money to a million dollars in order to attract some of the leading players in the world.
