Dubai: Mena Golf Tour chairman Mohammad Juma Bu Amim hopes to qualify a local player for the 2020 Olympics, but says Arab golf federations need to produce more talent in order to realise that dream.
The Mena Tour started five years ago and this week sees a milestone 50th event — round 10 of the current 18-stage season — take place at Dubai Creek from Monday.
World rankings points were also introduced this season meaning players can now accrue enough points to potentially qualify for an Olympics.
But speaking at the pre-tournament press conference to discuss this week’s landmark event, Bu Amim said despite the platform now provided by the Mena Tour, local federations still weren’t doing enough to seize the opportunity.
“I think we need to have an Arab player in the 2020 Olympics, that would be some achievement,” he said, when asked what his target was for the next five years. “But for that to happen the Arab Golf Federation (AGF) needs to find more players. Believe me they are there, they just need more support.
“Whose job is that? It can’t be the Mena Tour, it has to be the federations,” he added.
“Hopefully the AGF will try and work harder to provide more Arab players for the Mena Tour even at amateur level. I’m sure everyone in the world has the same problem but they all manage somehow.
“We have a good platform with which to produce a player or two from this part of the world and now we should strive to work on that.”
Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) vice-chairman Adel Zarouni, who is also AGF secretary general, was at the conference and took Bu Amim’s comments on board.
“There is a lot to be done and we are way behind,” he said. “I think in my role as secretary general of the AGF I need to put my foot down and get federations to support the tour.”
Of the EGF Junior Development Programme which was launched in 2002, he added: “We’ve already proven that we can get players up to a competitive level, even winning tournaments, but now we need to get more Arab players playing on tour to prepare them for professionalism.
“I will make this my personal mandate and I promise this in front of Mohammad. Today we will launch a new platform to the Mena Tour.”
The UAE’s first professional golfer Ahmad Al Musharrakh, who is a product of the EGF junior development programme, is participating in this week’s Dubai Creek Open, and said getting more local talent on board was just a matter of time.
“For me it’s still a new tour and a new game in the country. But I wouldn’t be surprised if it grows rapidly and we see more locals competing within the next 5-10 years.”
