Tanzania's European Golf Tour canceled

Dar es Salaam. The ‘Mount Kilimanjaro Klassic Tour’ golf tournament that was scheduled to take place from April 7 to 10 this year has been cancelled.

The tournament - dubbed ‘Tanzania’s European Tour,’ and ‘Sunshine Tour’ - was scheduled to feature about 156 professional golfers from various countries of the world. No reason has as yet been giver on why the competition has been abruptly cancelled.

Even Tanzania Golf Union (TGU) chairman Chriss Martin was not ready to comment on the matter - beyond saying the Union will hold a press conference on it today. But, he also said they are yet to receive official information from European Tour and International Sports Management over the matter. However, the lcancellation has gone viral in social media and the Sunshine Tour.

“We do not have a contract with Sunshine Tour... I call on you to wait for an official statement from TGU, ISM and European Tour. I am on the way from Moshi to Dar es Salaam, and tomorrow (today) I’ will conduct a press conference,” said Martin on the telephone.

However, a letter jointly signed by Thomas Abt - the Sunshine Tour Commissioner - and Jamie Hodges (the Head of Challenge Tour) states that the decision to cancel the competition was taken by ISM and TGU. “We have been informed today (April 1, 2022) by the Promoter ISM and the Tanzania Golf Union that the 2022 Mount Kilimanjaro Klassic due to take place next week in Tanzania has been cancelled. At this late stage, we are unable to replace the tournament,” reads part of the letter.

We are cognisant of the fact that you may have already incurred travel and accommodation costs for the tournament. We urge you to try and cancel these as soon as possible - and recover your money.

The letter further says that, “... to help alleviate this, the Sunshine Tour and The Challenge Tour will provide a maximum R15, 000 of U$1,000 contribution to each player and each caddie upon receipt of valid slips confirming the travel and accommodation costs incurred and which have not been refunded.

“For Sunshine Tour Members, please contact the membership department; and for Challenge Tour members, please contact Justine Taylor at [email protected].

For his part, Professional Golf Tanzania Association (PGTA) secretary general Salim Mwanyenza said they do not know why the competition has been cancelled. It is is for TGU.

“I cannot ask them (TGU) due to the fact that we were not involved from the beginning. Some golfers who were in Arusha are now back in Dar es Salaam after the report. It is the task of TGU to explain,” said Mwanyenza who is one of the notable figure in the game. Most of the Tanzania golfers preferred to remain silent, waiting for the official statement, they said.

In other development, Ugandan professional golfer Deo Akope said he was disappointed by the cancellation of the competition.

“This is really very bad for many players like me who had already committed to travel - and even had paid partly for accommodation, and fully paid return tickets.

“It was an opportunity for us local players with the region to show-case our golfing talents - and was also a good shot at making some good money if you made the cut,” said Akope.

“Basically, it’s a lost opportunity now,” he went on. “It is very sad that this actually happened, and I personally have never seen anything like happening to an international golf tour. We were excited to have such an event in the region, and we from Uganda were following closely to see if we could host the same event in the future - meaning we would have three international events in the region after the Kenyas Open.”