Star Prize winner at the 2021 Daily Trust Golf Tournament, Helen Ayo Ikpan, has departed Abuja to Kigali, Rwanda in fulfilment of the benefits of emerging victorious in the competition.
A press statement issued by the Executive Director, Business & Strategy of Daily Trust, Ahmed I. Shekarau, disclosed that Helen departed for the fun-filled trip on Sunday, onboard RwandAir flight WB220, which took off from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at about 1.50pm (13.50hours), flying directly into Kigali.
Helen was among the five female golfers out of the total 114 who played on the lush 18-hole 16km Ibom Course, and had emerged a star prize winner after a gross score of 92, net score of 78 and handicap score of 14.
The star prize winner, who is a member of the Tukur Yusuf Buratai (TYB) International Golf and Country Club, Abuja, said shortly before her departure from Abuja on Sunday, that: “I give Glory to God that Daily Trust and RwandAir have kept to their promise of providing me with this Business Class return ticket to play golf outside the shores of Nigeria.
“I feel great. I’m so excited and I appreciate Daily Trust for this opportunity. Golf is one game I love so much. I’m assuring that I will be a good Ambassador of Nigeria, during my stay in Rwanda”, she said.
The statement said that the star prize winner “set out for a unique all-expense paid trip, flying on a Business Class return ticket on RwandAir, to enjoy a 3-night stay in a luxury hotel in Kigali, 2 rounds of golf at the foremost 18-hole Kigali Golf Resort & Villas, and a wonderful sightseeing experience in the Land of a Thousand Hills”.
According to the statement, Daily Trust deliberately chose the Kigali Golf Resort & Villas for Helen’s distinct golfing experience, because of its location in the lively centre of Rwanda’s capital city, stressing that in addition to the golf course, the 65-hectare resort has a large tennis court, a health club, a pro shop, conference rooms and a clubhouse.
The statement also said that the choice of the Rwandan capital was further informed by a recent Forbes’ report, which picked Kigali as the fifth best place to visit in the world.
Over 100 male and female golfers participated in the one-day Daily Trust Golf Tournament, which was held on the 4th of December, last year, at the 18-hole Golf Course in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
Part of the excitement about the one-day tournament was the mouth-watering offer of a return ticket for a golfing experience in Kigali, the Rwandan capital, for the star prize winner.
Golfers from Benin, Enugu, Kano, Port Harcourt, Abuja, Kaduna, Katsina and Lagos took part in the one-day tourney.
The media company said it made the conscious decision to promote the game of golf through the Daily Trust Golf Tournament, because of golf’s growing popularity among the nation’s teeming populace, which has also elevated the sport into a strategic unifying force amongst Nigerians.
