Funke Majekodunmi, who recently added the Southern Sun Ikoyi Golf Championship winner’s title to her rich trophy chest, believes Nigeria can become one of the best nations in the sport if it paid adequate attention to youth development.
Majekodunmi beat over 30 other ladies to win her first title at the luxurious Lakowe Golf Course to become one of the most decorated ladies in the sport. But she is not happy that with all the huge human resources Nigeria is blessed with, the country has not been able to produce a top 10 world star in the game. And she points at the country’s attitude to youth development as the cause.
“We need to start developing players from their early years because that is the only way they can grow to become what we desire.
“You cannot start playing golf in your old age and expect to compete with players who started as kindergartens.“We can produce top golfers if we catch them young, but we cannot do that now because we are not encouraging our children to play golf early.”
She also believes that apart from giving the children the platform to start playing the game early in life; they should also be given the opportunity to play against their mates in other countries.“They have to go out to play in other countries because if they don’t go out they won’t develop their game properly. The problem is the lack of sponsorship.
We have to encourage our children to start early and follow them up till they grow in the game.”Describing her victory at the Southern Sun Championship as a huge surprise, Majekodunmi said, “I feel happy and good. I am pleasantly surprised.“When I saw the field, I knew it would be difficult because I came direct from a competition at the Ikoyi Club. But I am happy that it ended well for me.”
Majekodunmi, who revealed that she took to golf 30 years ago, rates the sport as one of the best ways to keep the mind healthy. “I have won so many trophies in Tanzania, Ghana, Kenya and so on. Golf has been my life because I was not able to work when I got married. Two of my children play golf also.She describes the Lakowe Golf and Country Club as a marvelous, well laid out and easy to play arena, adding, “Apart from the golf, it is a place one can come to relax. Some courses are so difficult to play on, but this one is so good.”
