Absa Bank Kenya today announced it will sponsor four professional golfers from Team Kenya in the 2022 edition of the Magical Kenya Open (MKO), which will be held from March 3rd to March 6th at the Muthaiga Golf Club. The list of players, popularly known as Pros, that will benefit from the sponsorship are Simon Ngige, David Wakhu, Mohit Mediratta and Daniel Nduva. Each player will get an initial cash token of KES200,000.
The KES3 million sponsorship will assist the Pros in meeting tournament costs such as registration, caddie payment, and the provision of necessary items such as their shirts, gloves, and golf balls, among other things. Absa will also provide the players with Absa-branded kits for the duration of the MKO tournament, in addition to the above sponsorship.
Speaking during the sponsorship announcement, Absa Bank Kenya Ag. Marketing and Corporate Relations Director Mr. Moses Muthui stated that the sponsorship will go a long way in facilitating the Pros to effectively participate in the tournament and inspire a good performance by the team.
“As a bank, whose purpose is bringing possibilities to life, we stand behind our local Pros who have done extremely well to make it to the final entry list. We fully understand what these players need to achieve their ambitions in the right way, which is why we want to take it a step further by motivating them to give their best performance yet and fly the Kenyan flag even higher," said Mr. Muthui.
In addition to the sponsorship, sponsored players have the opportunity to earn an additional KES 1,000,000 in bonuses based on their performance. Absa will pay a player KES 200,000 if they make the cut, an additional KES 100,000 if they make the cut while in the top 20, and a bonus of KES 700,000 if any player finishes in the top 10.
Speaking on behalf of the professional players, Mohit Medirrata thanked Absa for their support over the years and urged Kenyans to rally behind them as they prepare to compete in the tournament. "We are grateful to Absa Bank for this invaluable support and promise to make the country proud in this tournament,” he said. On his part, Daniel Nduva welcomed the sponsorship noting that this is the first time he is playing at the Kenya Open as a Pro. “We are excited about the opportunities that this sponsorship opens for us, and we are ready to post the best results ever as Team Kenya,” Nduva said.
With a prize purse of $2 million, the 2022 MKO draws over 150 golfers from Kenya and around the world, including eight Kenyan professionals, six Kenyan amateurs, and two regional players. Last week, Absa Bank Kenya committed KES 56 million as the Official Presenting Partner to the 2022 MKO, as part of their long-term commitment to sports and the development of the local golf fraternity in the country.
For more information, please write to communications.ke@absa.africa or visit the website www.kenya-opengolf.com
About Absa Bank Kenya
Absa Bank Kenya PLC is listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange and is one of Kenya’s leading financial institutions. Established in 1916, Barclays has been a major player in Kenya’s financial landscape, engaged in personal and corporate banking, enterprise, credit cards and bancassurance.
The bank offers end-to-end financial solutions to retail, enterprise and corporate customers, and its regional and global footprint enables it to offer cutting-edge financial solutions to its clients. The bank is a leader in the credit card space. It has also been associated with a number of market firsts, such as the launch of the first ATM, Sharia-compliant banking and unsecured lending.
Absa Bank Kenya has presence in 38 counties. It has 86 branches, 212 ATMs and a robust Internet and mobile banking platform. The bank’s purpose is to bring possibilities to life.
About Kenya Open Golf Tournament
Kenya Open is a golf tournament that was founded in 1967 and has been an event on the European based Challenge Tour schedule since 1991.
The Tournament attracts elite golfers from all over the world and is currently the second oldest event under the PGA European Challenge Tour. The Kenya Open title has been won by some of Europe’s biggest Ryder Cup stars such as Seve Ballesteros, Ian Woosnam, Ken Brown and Christy O’Connor Jr, as well as future Masters Champion Trevor Immelman. The most successful player is England’s Maurice Bembridge, who recorded three victories between 1968 and 1979.
For further information about The Kenya Open, please visit the website www.kenya-opengolf.com
