Mützig Open attracts more sponsors

With just two days to Rwanda’s premier golf tournament; the Mützig Rwanda Open, the tournament has landed more sponsorship according to reports from Kigali Golf Club. Save for Mützig, the main event sponsors, Rwanda’s National Office of Tourism (ORTPN), Rwandair Express, Rwanda Development Bank (BRD) and Tele-10 have all expressed interest in boosting the four-day event.

Monday, November 03, 2008
L-R: HOPING FOR THE BEST: Ruterana, TO LEAD: Akope.

With just two days to Rwanda’s premier golf tournament; the Mützig Rwanda Open, the tournament has landed more sponsorship according to reports from Kigali Golf Club.

Save for Mützig, the main event sponsors, Rwanda’s National Office of Tourism (ORTPN), Rwandair Express, Rwanda Development Bank (BRD) and Tele-10 have all expressed interest in boosting the four-day event.

"We have received more sponsorship from ORTPN, BRD, Tele-10 and Rwandair,” the club spokesman Henry Rugamba said.

Tanzania is meanwhile set to field a team of seven amateurs in the event.

According to Rugamba, the Tanzanians are to use the tournament as a build up for next week’s East African Challenge tournament in Mombassa, Kenya.

Further still, several professionals from Uganda are expected to arrive today. The booty hunters who will be led by captain Deo Akope will have some light practice today followed by a more intense training session tomorrow as they plot to snatch the title away from home-boy Emmanuel Ruterana.

On the other hand, Ruterana and Jean Baptist Hakizimana, Rwanda’s other professional golfers can’t afford to relax after returning wild scores over the weekend.

The pair, who competed during Saturday’s Macmillan tournament registered unconvincing scores of 80 and 74 respectively and know that they can not afford such scores, come Thursday.

"I shot so high on Saturday but I know that I can play much better than that. I still have a couple of days to get my game back on track,” Ruterana said.

The tournament will tee off on Thursday for the professionals and Friday for all the other categories.

Ends