ABOUT partnership between the National AIDS Council (NAC) and the Zimbabwe Ladies Golf Union (ZLGU), continues to grow with year’s Women’s Amateur Golf Tournament which starts on Friday expected to attract more numbers up for cervical screening.
By Kudakwashe Pembere
Cervical cancer screening helps identify cancer at an early stage before it can cause symptoms.
Ending on Sunday, the tournament brings will see other countries such as Kenya and Zambia taking part in the tournament. Addressing the media at a press conference, Margaret Vera said this is year’s tourney will be held at Chapman Golf Club.
“This afternoon, I would like to thank the National AIDS Council. This is the fourth year running that we have partnered NAC for the Women’s Amateur Golf Tournament. So the Amateur Golf Tournament is an annual golf tournament that we hold annually.
“And this year we are going to hold it at Chapman Golf Club and it is to choose the top women’s golfer for the year,” she said.
The ZLGU president said many ladies were left drooling for the cancer screening service last year as the demand was high surpassing the supply.
“We have partnered with NAC because we have an appreciation that in order to play your golf well, there is a relationship between good health and your ability to play the game well. And we are really appreciative because they have been providing cervical cancer screening for us for the past four years.
“Last year we had a very successful year where we had a lot of women who came for screening. We do that because we realise that women are very busy in their homes with their various roles that they play,” Vera said.
Around 120 players will compete for top honours including Zambian and Kenyan golfers.
“We are expecting about 120 golfers from all our provinces that is Manicaland, Midlands, Hwange, Chiredzi, Mutare. And we also have some regional players who are coming in. As some of you know, we just completed what is known as the G and P Tournament. So we have eight players from Zambia who will be playing and 12 players from Kenya.
“Top players from Kenya will also be joining us for the tournament. We have already shared information with them that there is going to be screening for cervical cancer and they are very excited because they have never seen a program of that nature where you combine golf and health. They are looking forward to that and I am sure they will take up whatever services that will be there,” the ZLGU president added.
Acting NAC Chief executive Mr Raymond Yekeye said their partnership with the women golfers provided them with the opportunity to raise awareness on non-communicable diseases to urban women.
“This has been a tournament that has been going on as a partnership between ZLGU and NAC for the past four years. As NAC, we are using this tournament not only to drive the message of HIV and Non-communicable disease but also to ensure that no one is left behind and try to reach out to all populations. Most of our activities around HIV prevention and cervical cancer have been targeting probably the rural areas but we believe that we should also target urban ladies and offer those services,” he said.
He also said they are discussing with ZLGU to take this tournament to other provinces in Zimbabwe.
Mr Yekeye said they are still in the process of calculating the amount of money they sponsored in this year’s edition of the women’s golf tourney.
He also noted that last year’s tournament saw around a 1 000 women getting screened for cervical cancer.
