Rwandan pair Aloys Nsabimana and Celestine Nsanzuwera who are members of the prestigious Kigali Golf Club are representing the country in the 22nd Open De Côte d'Ivoire Trophée Félix Houphouët Boigny.

The invitational tournament which started on May 9 runs until May 15 has golfers across the continent battling for supremacy at the President Golf Club in Yamoussoukro with a cash prize of over Rwf8m and a coveted trophy at stake.

This is the first time Rwanda is competing and the Captain of the Kigali Golf Club, Andrew Kulayige has hinted on how participating in this tournament will help Nsabimana and Nsanzuwera inspire other young people to take up the sport.

"The exploits of the two young golfers at the tournament in Yamoussoukro will serve as a catalyst for others to also competitively take up the sport. The two golfers are sponsored by members of the Kigali Golf club, Rwandair and Mutangana Rwanda Tea for this tournament.

We will always reach out to different corporate institutions to support the growth of Rwandan golf talent to the international stage," Kulayige told Times Sport in an interview.

How did the two brothers get into golf?

Seemingly, it was no coincidence that the two brothers who come from a family of six developed love for the sport as they grew up close to it.

"We stayed in Kacyiru (Gasabo) and our house was just outside the golf park fence so we always watched people play," Nsanzuwera told Times Sport.

"When we went home each day, we would try to emulate them by using stones as golf balls and ordinary sticks as the golf clubs. Sometimes we also used the cover of Inyange mineral water as our golf ball."

"We had interest in other sports such as football and tennis but ultimately golf reigned supreme and we want to have a good career in it." He stressed.

Profile of the players

Name: Aloys Nsabimana

Age: 25

Previous International Tournaments: He is the eldest of the brothers and already a professional golfer having competed in a host of tournaments in Kenya and other places.

Name: Celestine Nsanzuwera

Age: 22

Previous International Tournaments: Celestine is now graduating from amateur golf to professional golf and this is going to be his first international competition. He completed High school last year.