Betika Group Head of Brand Eric Mwiti with IMG Kenya CEO Peter Gacheru during the signing of the sponsorship agreement for the Betika MastersGaming firm Betika has unveiled a Sh5 million sponsorship
for the upcoming doubleheader of the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa
Swing for two back-to-back tournaments scheduled for November.
The 7th and 8th legs of the Sundshine Development Tour,
dubbed Betika Masters, will be played over consecutive weeks, with the first
held at the Vetlab Sports Club from November 2nd to 4th.
The VetLab event will be followed by Limuru Country Club
from November 9th to 11th.
The events are expected to attract at least 100 golfers from
East Africa and beyond, and will be played over 54 holes, with a cut set for
the top 30 and ties after round two.
Players will compete not only for a share of the two million
shillings prize purse at each event, but also for crucial global ranking points
on the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing, which counts towards
progression into larger global tournaments.
Speaking during the sponsorship presentation, Betika Head of
Brand Eric Mwiti said they are proud to support the Sunshine Development Tour
as part of their commitment to growing sports inclusively.
"Our focus in the sport previously has been on players,
and we are currently sponsoring John Lejirma and Michael Karanga, among other
players," he remarked.
"However, seeing their progress in the competition and
the impact it has had on their rankings in the world, we have decided to
support the pathway itself so that other players, irrespective of their
background, can have the chance to get the same pathway. We believe in
unlocking potential at all levels and creating a legacy of opportunity and
excellence," he added.
John Lejirma and Michael Karanga are currently enjoying
sponsorship from Betika, the support being a continuation of what started
during the 2024 Magical Kenya Open.
The Sunshine Development Tour - East Africa Swing provides a
structured platform for professionals and elite amateurs to earn Official World
Golf Ranking (OWGR) and World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points, alongside
Sunshine Development Tour Order of Merit points, contributing to qualification
opportunities for higher-tier tours such as the Sunshine Tour and Big Easy Tour
in South Africa.
Peter Gacheru, IMG Kenya CEO, expressed his delight at
having Betika support the event.
“We are excited to have Betika on board for the Vetlab and
Limuru editions of the SDT-EAS. They have been in the golf space, sponsoring
individual golfers to make the game accessible to all," said Gacheru.
"By extending their support to this tournament, they
are impacting more golfers with a platform to earn world ranking points even
without going out of the country in search of tournaments of such calibre, as
it would have been the case before we introduced the tour," he added.
Earlier in October, Kenya’s top amateur golfer Lejirma
produced a composed performance under pressure to claim victory during the
sixth leg of the tour, following a dramatic sudden-death playoff at the Royal
Nairobi Golf Club.
Lejirma, who began the final round with a commanding
four-shot lead over his closest challenger, Njoroge Kibugu, saw his advantage
wiped out as Kibugu mounted a spirited comeback.
Despite dropping a single shot on the par-4 11th hole,
Lejirma held his nerve to force a sudden-death playoff after both players tied
on 10-under-par after regulation play.
On the playoff hole - the par-4 18th - Lejirma kept his
composure to card a par, as Kibugu faltered with a bogey, handing the home
favourite a hard-fought and emotional victory.
