Mwinzani triumphs at DGC October Mug
DAR ES SALAAM: NATIONAL junior golf team member Julius Mwinzani delivered an outstanding performance at the Icea Lion October Monthly Mug golf tournament, finishing with a one-under-par 71 net to secure the Division A title.
The event took place over the weekend at the Dar es Salaam Gymkhana Club (DGC), where Mwinzani, playing off a handicap of 3, narrowly defeated his closest rival, Shaizad Bhanji, who has a handicap of 5, by a single stroke.
During the awards ceremony, chief guest Paul Ngangaji, the Supervision Officer of the Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority (TIRA), presented the winners with trophies.
In Division B, Godfrey Kilenga, competing off a handicap of 12, also impressed with a level-par 72, edging out Khalaf Rashid, who finished second on count back after scoring a 72 with a handicap of 11.
In Division C, Ally Hazam emerged victorious with an impressive score of 71, competing off a handicap of 22. William Ferentinos claimed second place with a net score of 77, playing off a handicap of 20.
Ayne Magombe clinched the ladies’ title with a score of 72, followed by Yasmin Chali with 82 nett, and Anita Siwale in third place with 83. Rashid Rashid and Asteria Kinunda received the guest prizes for men and ladies, respectively, with scores of 73 and 101 net.
The tournament included several special prizes, with Mwinzani winning the men’s longest drive and Magombe receiving the same honour for the ladies. Kain Mbaya claimed the nearest-to-the-pin award.
Ngangaji commended the DGC and Icea Lion General Insurance for their exemplary organisation of the tournament. He praised their efforts to promote insurance while supporting sports development in Tanzania and emphasised TIRA’s commitment to protecting insurance consumers and encouraging innovation within the industry.
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The event also attracted Lilian Mbassy, Managing Director of TIB Development Bank and a board member of Icea Lion, who commended the participants and promised even more exciting competitions in the future.
Icea Lion CEO Jared Awando expressed gratitude to DGC for allowing them to sponsor the Monthly Mug for the second time this year. He thanked the players for their participation and acknowledged their commitment to the sport.
Awando also announced plans to invite teams from Kenya and Uganda for major tournaments in Tanzania next year. He praised his staff for their excellent organisation of the event and encouraged more players to take up golf.
Iman Alfayo, the Competition Secretary for DGC’s golf section, thanked the participants for their turnout, noting that over 70 players participated, making the October Mug a resounding success.
Champion Mwinzani expressed his appreciation to the sponsors and organisers for a well-run event, stating that he thoroughly enjoyed his time on the course. He also extended gratitude to his sponsor, Ally Azam, for the support that has greatly benefited his golfing career.
“Azam has been instrumental in nurturing my talent. I can’t thank him enough for enabling me to play golf both locally and internationally,” said Mwinzani, who celebrated his 18th birthday last week.
Azam, one of this month’s winners, shared his pride in Mwinzani’s promising talent and emphasised that their intensive training sessions have yielded impressive results.
