Dubai: UAE amateur golfers are preparing to test their mettle on the international stage as the Nomura Cup comes to the Middle East for the first time in its 52-year history.
The tournament, which is to take place at Yas Links, Abu Dhabi from October 22-25, provides the opportunity for the UAE to compete against 26 other amateur national teams from the Asia-Pacific region.
Coach Greg Holmes’ UAE team, made up of Khalid Yousuf, Rashid Hamood, Abdullah Al Qubaisi and Ahmad Skaik, have been training for the tournament in Terre Blanch, France, at the European Tour Performance Institute.
“The players were measured physically and any errors that they needed to work on, they could do so. They’ve benefited a lot from the trip,” said Holmes.
Skaik is hoping to prove his worth in the senior side after having only recently transferred from the juniors.
“I hope we show up in this tournament and perform well, we’ve put a lot of preparation in and we’re really looking forward to it,” he said.
The youngster played an invaluable role in the UAE junior side’s second successive GCC Championship win, in Oman last year. He’s now relishing the opportunity to play against continental sides.
“We’re used to playing against the Arab nations,” said Skaik, “But it’s good to play against players from Australia, Japan, China and Korea. They have top players and it’s good to compete and learn from them.”
The other players on the UAE team are also in good form. Yousuf lifted the President’s Cup for the second time in three years at the Saadiyat Beach Golf Club after overcoming teammate Hamood recently. He’s played in the Dubai Desert Classic, Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship and the Singapore Masters in recent years, gaining valuable experience to bring back to the national team.
