Ogun SWAN, AGC Partner On Golf Reportage

By ABIODUN JIMOH, ABEOKUTA

The problem associated with the media coverage of golf in Nigeria will become a thing of the past as the management of Abeokuta Golf Club (AGC), Abeokuta is set to organise a day seminar for Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Ogun State chapter, on how to report the game.
State SWAN Chairman, Alhaji Hakeem Akintunde who led other executive members of the association on a courtesy visit to the golf club at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta on Tuesday confirmed this.
The SWAN boss noted that many sports journalists in the country were running away from reporting golf because of its technicalities and languages.
Furthermore, he affirmed that the workshop would avail SWAN members the opportunity to know the nitty gritty of golf reportage and drive more interest towards coverage of the game. 
He said: “Journalists in Nigeria are confronted with the demand to cover all sports beats unlike their counterparts in Europe whereby sports writers were assigned to a sport segment.
“Mr. Captain sir, since we came on board, we have been meeting with stakeholders in the state to improve on welfare and human capacity of our members. 
“You will agree with me that we don’t have many journalists coming here to cover the game of golf because of the difficulties associated in understanding the technicalities of the sports. 
“Therefore, we want to solicit your support to sponsor a one-day seminar for our members in the state to know the nitty gritty of the game. In Nigeria, we are shinning light and good journalists, because we are jack of all trades. 
“Unlike in Europe where a journalist is only assign to cover one sport and become a master of it, but here in Nigeria, sports writer must report all sports and because majority of my colleagues don’t know much about golf, they refrain from covering it and analyze it.”
In his response, the Club Captain, Engr. Kola Adeleye said: “The club will work out the modalities to ensure the workshop becomes a reality. The training is imperative for sports writers in the state to develop more interest in reporting golf.
“I welcome you to the most challenging golf course in Nigeria. People have always been saying that golf is an elitist game because of its technicalities and equipment. To play golf is not as expensive. What many of us need to do is to reorder our priorities to play golf. 
“To play golf comes with lots of alertness. The advantage and benefits are enormous.
“The one-day seminar you requested can be organized. We will look into it and see how to go about it. You need this training because it will help you to report our game well. You will know the terms like the fair ways, the green, the bunker which some of you does not know.”
Captain Adeleye therefore called on members of the public to develop interest in playing golf as it helps to modify their character.
Other members of the Golf Club executive are; the club Secretary, Surveyor Ekundayo Folarin, Mr. Kola Obadimu, PRO, Mr. Segun Eleyoowo, Treasurer and Mr. Dolapo Junaid – Asst. Secretary.