The CIMEGOLF 2022 tournament concluded last weekend on a high note as outstanding golfers were recognized during the awarding gala night held Saturday, December 3 at Kigali Golf Club. The tournament has been growing since its inception in 2017 with organizers looking to turn it into a bigger gold showpiece that can attract internationals in the near future. CIMERWA has been organizing CIMEGOLF for the past five years and, with consistency, it has gone on to become Rwanda’s biggest tournament. The fifth edition came at a time tournament sponsor CIMERWA wanted to use golf, as a game, to bring people together not only to network but also to get more opportunities off the course. CIMERWA organized this year’s edition as a double event where golfers who have been participating in the CIMEGOLF to meet customers who, in a way, make it happen...who enable organisers to give them the CIMEGOLF experience. The tournament allowed customers to meet golfers to network and grow more opportunities from the golf course. During the awarding gala, which coincided with the closing day of Rwanda Tourism Week, winning golfers from different categories were awarded. CIMERWA also took the occasion to award the best performing customers in 2022. Golfers have been competing every month since the tournament started in August and winners would be awarded by the end of every stage of the tournament. Those who won for the past three months were brought together for the CIMEGOLF big event for the finals which were played till December 3. Winners were awarded in different categories varying from Caddies and women categories to seniors and Handicap categories. In the Caddies category, Alphonsine Murekatete made 83 gloss to win the caddies ladies tournament with Alain Niyonkuru made 73 gloss finish top of the Caddies men category. Christine Warugaba emerged winner in ladies’ category with 83 points while Chong Ilyong emerged top in seniors with 97 points. In the Handicap category, Ras Tinyonindi emerged winner in the Handicap 19-28 category with 80 points. Kin Kisang won in the Handicap 10-18 category with 108 points while Darran Johnston finished top in the Handicap 0-9 category with 85 points. According to Mugabekazi, CIMERWA not only organizes the CIMEGOLF to make it big but to also use the opportunity to promote the golf course so it can attract more golfers from the region in efforts to contribute to sports tourism. While giving out prizes, Regis Rugemanshuro, the Chief Executive of Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB) who doubles as the CIMERWA Board Chair, congratulated winners and hailed the golfers and different stakeholders who made the tournament a success throughout the tournament campaign. “We thank the golfers’ community today for the love that they continue to show to the game because, I think, there is nothing better than seeing this golf course becoming this busy and seeing people making new friends,” Rugemanshuro said. “We thank the government for the incentives and infrastructure and everything it does to help promote the game and, on top of that, creating a conducive environment for a business like CIMERWA,” he added.
