The Zambia Golf Union – ZGU has says they are hopeful of receiving a More equitable share of resources and funding from government in the 2021 budget to be presented tomorrow 25 September 2020 by Finance Minister Dr. Bwalya N’gandu.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Zambian Business Times – ZBT, Zambia Golf Union President Christopher Mulenga says the Golf union is hopeful of better funding or more resources from government as they usually source their funding mostly through external sources and various activities.
“In terms of my expectations for golf, we have always wanted to draw some resources from the government. As you know golf is one of those sports that has not really received resources from central government. It is through our own activities and cooperating partners as well as through the activities that our corporation partners buy into. But I don’t think it’s too late for government to help in funding the sport, because we can do better especially in junior golf with funds from the government”, he said.
And when asked whether they have shared their challenges with the Ministry of Finance during the budget submission stage, Mulenga stressed that their channel of communication to government is through National Sports Council of Zambia (NSCZ).
“We collaborate with government through NSCZ, and the council is fully aware that we’ve got a budget that needs to be financed. But to be very honest with you, because of limited and competing needs from the various other sporting activities, we have not benefited. It’s a well-known fact by NSCZ that we need a helping hand”, he said.
Even though we have top notch golfers and have the ability to reach greater heights, football has always been treated like the last born, always favored. Fingers are crossed to see if this time it will be a different story.
Sports analysts and journalists have called on the government through the budgeting process to include other priority sports so that these receive funding to enable mass participation so that the country can also start producing international level players other than in football.
