Onyema Why Okatta is committed to developing golf

Could you introduce yourself and also throw light on this weekend’s Chief Emeka Okatta Golf Tournament?My name is Mazi Emmanuel Onyeama. I am the secretary of IBB International Golf Club. I am in charge of the administration of the club. We do over see a lot of tournaments, big and small ones. We call the […]

Could you introduce yourself and also throw light on this weekend’s Chief Emeka Okatta Golf Tournament?
My name is Mazi Emmanuel Onyeama. I am the secretary of IBB International Golf Club. I am in charge of the administration of the club. We do over see a lot of tournaments, big and small ones. We call the small ones kitties and they come up almost every week. The big tournaments come up once in a while. They are either club tournaments sponsored by the club or those sponsored by organisations and individuals who have strong passion for the development of golf. Most of the tournaments attract professionals from within and outside the country. And that’s where the Chief Emeka Okatta tournament comes in. He took a cue from some of such tournaments. Sponsoring a tournament comes with passion because once it is outside club sponsorship, you have to bear the full financial brunt. It takes a lot of money because to kit a golfer to play it is not an easy thing.
What would you say has prompted the sponsor of this tournament to embark on this capital intensive project?
Chief Emeka Okatta is not quite old in golf but he has been able to make a name and is leaving legacies. He is probably one of the best players we have here. Few years ago, he joined this club and started playing golf. Some people have been here up to ten years but they have not been proficient. But he can compete professionally anywhere. And he plays all over the world. I can tell you that his interest has been solely how to develop golf professionally. All we play is amateur golf. Most of us play for leisure. But he is looking at it from the perspective that some countries earn a lot of money in what we call golf tourism. Take for instance most of us go to Dubai, we stay for one week, two weeks, or three weeks to play golf. If you calculate how much we take to that country to spend on accommodation, entertainment, flight and things like that, it’s so much money. So he decided to join few Nigerians who are passionate in developing golf. I am talking of people like Senate President David Mark who has built a magnificent golf course in Oturkpo, Benue State.
What is going to be different about the year’s edition of Emeka Okatta golf tournament?
The 2014 of Emeka Okatta tournament is just one of those tournaments but this time around, out of experience, out of experimentation, he is injecting creativity strategy in ensuring that soonest it will be an international event. And how is he doing that? This time around, it is not only the club’s amateur players playing. The professionals are playing and he has gone ahead to invite professionals from other golf clubs in Nigeria to come and compete among themselves here. Furthermore, he has made provision for even the non fee paying caddies to take part.
In all how many golfers are you expecting at this tournament?
For the amateurs, we are looking at about 150 golfers. For the professionals coming all over the country, we are looking at 30. We are talking about top professionals not just professionals. We are expecting top professional golfers from some of the best clubs like Ikoyi and Ibom.
How is the tournament going to be played?
The sponsor has graduated this year’s tournament. The professionals will play on their own day. And there is a day for young amateur golfers to play. He gave the club members the opportunity to compete among themselves and only the best, maybe the best hundred will play on the final day. But there are other players from other clubs who have been invited to come and play. However, the full amateurs as we are here will play at the climax of the day which is on Saturday. After that there will be prize presentation ceremony and dinner night.
Are there plans to further develop young golfers who would exhibit exceptional skills in this year’s tournament?
From all I know, because I work closely with him as a kind of director of the project, he is going to invest money. Those young ones who will perform specially, he is going to train them in Nigeria. And after some basic training in Nigeria, he is going to take them outside to South Africa. Over there, they have well established golf academies. Once you show a skill, they take you through the rudiments and brush you up on how the game should be played. Your skills are developed so that you can play international golf. Tiger Woods started early so anything he does now has become part of his life.
How much support is the founder of this tournament enjoying from the corporate world?
I can say the support has been encouraging because some of his friends have come in as sponsors. He is a corporate person. He has corporate friends in the banking, automobile, and beverage industries that have shown keen interest to assist him develop golf. These are the supporters who have made this year’s edition a special one. I can tell you that that there is a brand new car donated by the main supporter of the tournament, Fortis Micro-Finance bank and it is for the Hole-in one player. As it is written on it, Hole-in one, it will go to the player who will scale that height.
Which means the prize of a brand new car is for the exceptional player?
I can say yes because it is extremely difficult make it. It requires the combination of skill, not just skills but exceptional skills and an element of luck for you to putt it once. Having the best of skills does not mean you hit it once and it will enter there. You have to combine skill with luck.  Therefore, the car is for the person who can make it happen. It is not impossible. People play hole in one most of the times. People have won cars meant for such exceptional players.
Who are the dignitaries that have been invited to come and perform the official tee off?
Getting dignitaries for the official tee off is not going to be a problem because I know contacts have been made with some dignitaries but we would prefer dignitaries who are golfers. Contact has been made with the Senate President, Senator David Mark an active member of this club. We also have other dignitaries like the former Secretary to the government of the Federation, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe and the former Head of Service of the Federation, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed. They are avid golfers who can stand in for the Senate President. In addition top executives of various banks, oil and gas and automobile companies have indicated their interest to grace the tournament.