Sports Minister Hon. Vincent Mwale has appealed to the business community to support the Nchanga Golf Club in its quest to host the prestigious Zambia Open Golf Tournament scheduled to take place in May 2016.

The minister notes that hosting such a tournament which is a major fixture on the sunshine tour annual calendar will attract many foreigners to Zambia and ultimately result in revenue generation through their spending of foreign currency in the country.

He further notes that the sport of golf has the potential to boost activities in the hospitality, transport and catering sectors by virtue of the number of visitors from across the globe.

Hon. Mwale was speaking at a fundraising cocktail hosted by Konkola Copper Mines, who are the major sponsors of the tournament with a prize money sponsorship of about of $150,000.

The minister commended KCM for its strong support for the sport, knowing that the company is experiencing a significant amount of pain in the current economic environment that has affected some of its operations.

“The fact that KCM has pumped $150,000 USD is just the tip of the iceberg as the Nchanga Golf Club and KCM require further financing to make this a memorable event that will not only boost the profile of golf and its development but that of the country as well.”

He noted that the Zambia open golf championship being a premier international sporting event is an important one for the country because it will contribute to the diversification of Zambia’s sporting base.

And KCM CEO Steven Din thanked the government through the minister of sport for showing unwavering support to sport of golf over the years.

The CEO also thanked various corporate partners that attended the event noting that their attendance was in itself a demonstration of their resolve to improving minor sports in the country.