Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Sunday challenged Kenyan golf clubs to open up their courses to more youth.

Kenyatta said attracting the youth to play golf will secure the future of the game and the next Kenya Open could be won by a Kenyan youth.

He said playing golf will also have the benefit of teaching the youth vital lessons about honour, good manners, and about patience.

"It is a game that teaches discipline, honour and it is a game that we will like to see more and more of our youth participating in," said the President when he presided over the closing ceremony of the 49th Kenya Open in Nairobi.

He said Kenyan schools should also include golf as part of their sporting activities to encourage more youth to take up the game.

Kenyatta said the prize money will be raised starting with the next tournament as part of efforts to promote the game and attract more players to take part in the Kenya Open.

"We will work together to raise the prize money to 1 million U.S. dollars to attract more players," said the President. He said this will promote Kenya as a sporting destination thereby bringing in more tourists who love the game.

He asked golf clubs to use whichever approach convenient for them to have more junior players on their courses such as reaching out to schools in their neighbourhoods.

"The fact remains, Ladies and Gentlemen, that we need to do more to open up this wonderful game to our young people," said the President.

The President also encouraged the Kenyan youth to take up golf the same way they have dominated other games. The tournament was won by Aaron Rai, a UK citizen of Kenyan descent.

 

source: Xinhua