Credit: Prince Dornu-Leiku / SportsInGhana.com

Group Captain Festus Kwakye Gyimah is celebrating the success of emerging the overall winner of the 22nd Ghana Golfers Association (GGA) Seniors' Amateur Open Golf tournament. Gyimah beat Paul List into 2nd spot and hitherto defending champion David Arkutu to 3rd in the competition which was also an occasion to mark the 50th anniversary of sponsors Ghana Oil Company (GOIL).

"I am feeling normal even though I have just won a tough competition. I am not surprised because I've been runner-up the past three consecutive years so it was about time and I did it. I hope that next year if all things go right, I will defend the title," Mr. Kwakye Gyimah told SportsInGhana.com moments after receiving a huge trophy and GOIL lubricants as his prize.

He wasn't the only winner who went home with prizes. GOIL which also used the occasion to launch two new lubricants, GOIL Super Synthetic oil and GOIL Diesel Semi-synthetic oil, gave out prizes galore. There were trophies, GOIL lubricants and coupons for the various winners. Men Scratch winner Gyimah Kwakye's runner-up Paul List, 3rd David Arkutu, 4th Oscar Ofori, 5th Adu Gyamfi as well as 6th Lee Mensah were all beneficiaries of trophies and GOIL products.

Takoradi Golf Club captain Dr. S. Sarpong-Peprah did not only play the good host, he was also in on the competition and came tops in the Men Handicap competition, but it was the outstanding sponsorship of GOIL that he spoke about.

"This has been a great year for this golf tournament thanks to the sponsors GOIL and especially all of you here today. I thank each of you on behalf of the Planning Committee and welcome you back here anytime because Takoradi is the perfect place to unwind, switch-off and play some great holes running along the sea," Dr. Sarpng Peprah stated in his speech.

GOIL first sponsored the annual tournament in 2001ironically in the same Takoradi and nine years later, the nation's number one oil company say they are committed to sponsoring the competition for many years to come. "We are very humble but we deliver the goods and we urge you all to join the GOIL family in celebrating an eventful half-century of operations.

"We do so confidently because the winds of change brought about by the oil find offer us the platform on which to show the world what commitment, know-how and partnerships can bring about," Yaw Agyemang-Duah, Managing Director of GOIL stated.

He added the most juicy part for the Ghana Golfers Association especially the Seniors' Open championship. "We started here (Takoradi) so its appropriate to bring our Golden Jubilee event here and hopefully we shall celebrate the 100th anniversary here. We will continue sponsoring this event for a while because we know that the relationship between us and the golfers is good," Mr. Agyemang-Duah pledged.

Special Guest of Honour Nana Kobina Nketiah IV, Chief of the Essikado Traditional Area praised GOIL for their leadership and innovations in the nation's oil industry, adding that he has been inspired to even bid to become President of Ghana in order to honour GOIL for their good work. "Someone said something here that has me thinking I should be President one day. If I were President, I will declare a GOIL Day within our Public Holidays calendar to celebrate the huge success of GOIL every year," said Nana Nketiah who officially launched the two new GOIL lubricants.

According to GOIL, these two new products, GOIL Super Synthetic oil and GOIL Diesel Semi-synthetic oil, "are the highest in quality than all our competitors, low in oil consumption, saves fuel and above all its best priced," explained GOIL Board Member Chris Ackumey.

GGA President Dr. F. K. Frempong whose outfit used the occasion to honour GOIL for their sponsorship, thanked the oil giants for their support over the years for the competition which rotates yearly among the top clubs across the country. He also used the occasion to appeal to the youth to play golf as it is a sport for everybody, unlike the impression often created that it is a game played by only the rich. "Golf economy is the biggest in the US and the world's richest sportsperson (Tiger Woods) is a golfer. I urge more people to play golf and we must also discard the notion that golf is a sport for the rich," Dr. Frempong said.