You must have read so many things about the Governor-elect in Oyo State, Engr. Seyi MakindeĀ his highly intimidating profile and exploits in the Oil & Gas sector where he plays big through his Makon Engineering Limited. That he is an Automation Engr, a philanthropist of note and a politician and all that. But one thing many don’t know about Seyi Makinde is that, he is a great lover of golf.
Not only that he loves the games, he plays it very well. So deep is his love for the game that, hardly will a week passed that he would not play golf. In Ibadan Golf Club (IGC), Seyi Makinde is a member and stakeholder and he is well loved by other prominent members of the club. He has been one of the major sponsors of events and projects of the club over the years. Being a sportman right from his childhood, he must have substituted football, a game he couldn’t make a career out of due to some circumstances, for Golf.
In fact, those who are familiar with his sporting activities can attest to the fact that Engr. Seyi Makinde’s love for Golf didn’t just start yesterday, he has come a long way with the game and he has fallen in love with it over the years. He has been part of many Golf activities and sponsored many tournaments including Seyi Makinde Women Support tourney. To him, Golf is a highly challenging and interesting game through which one can actually keep fit and at the same time relaxing one’s system.
“I am a sport person, apart from golf, I do play tennis. sports enhance the wellbeing of an individual. āGolf is very challenging, you never know what is going to happen until you actually put the ball in the hole, itās very challenging, a round of golf will probably take you like six hours to go through the 18 holes, itās just fun and relaxing. āThis tournament is going to be a continuous exercise as we are ready to sustain it over the years,ā Makinde said during final of the second edition of Seyi Makinde Women Support tournament in 2016.
During his 50th birthday celebration in 2017, a golf tournament was one of the many activities for the birthday program. The tournamnet, held at Tiger Golf Club 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Osogbo cantonment, Ibadan, was won by a member of the club, General Mohammed Musa Kini. He was presented with a Golf kitty.
While speaking at the end of the tournamnet, Makinde said, āGolf is usually seen as elitist game and for me; my basic aim is to encourage talents that do not even have money. There are talents who are in the game and that is why I decided to include golf as part of my birthday celebration. āI want to encourage more people to embrace golf because we have a lot of talents. In fact, we have a lot of āTiger Woodsā who are just out there and all we need to do for them is to encourage them to come into the game.ā
All these have been Makinde’s interventions in the Golf game and that is why it was not surprising two weeks ago when the Governor-elect, again, displayed his love for the game at Ibadan Golf Club in the just concluded 2019 edition of Ladies Open, by celebrating with over 200 lady-golfers who came from all walks of life to participate in the tournament. Engr. Seyi Makinde, alongside his lovely wife Mrs. Tamunominini Makinde, was one the top dignitaries that graced final of the tourney on Sunday 18th March, 2019.
Makinde didn’t just attend the closing ceremony on Sunday evenning, he played nine holes none competitive golf game on Thursday and five holes on Saturday. He also attended the closing ceremony, where he restated his commitment to the activities of the club and development of golf by giving the game good attention in terms of promotion and funding when he resumes as governor.
āDare Adeniran
