Edwin Kutara an ‘unpolished gem’

AN up-and-coming golfer Edwin Kutara recently received a N$10 000 sponsorship from the Electricity Control Board of Namibia to help him realise his dream of becoming a professional.

Kutara got hooked on golf as a young child growing up in Mariental in the nineties, but he only started playing the game seriously in 2003 after moving to Windhoek.

He became an avid golfer and improved steadily and by last year was already ranked among the top 10 amateur golfers in the country. He is currently ranked eighth on the Namibian Order of Merit and this year came third at the Northern Open in Tsumeb and seventh at the Namibian Open.

Kutara’s determination to succeed was already evident last year when he quit his job at the Namibia Broadcasting Corporation to pursue his dream of becoming a professional golfer.

In January last year he went to the qualifying school for the South African Sunshine Tour in Bloemfontein on his own expense. The competition was very tough as 250 top amateur golfers from all over the world, but mainly Southern Africa, entered in search of a spot among the top 65 golfers, who would receive professional status and exemption to participate on the South African circuit.

The top 30 golfers get exemption to compete in the South African Sunshine Tour, while the next 35 may compete on the ‘feeder’ tour for the Sunshine Tour, namely the Big Easy Tour.

Things did not go too well for Kutara the first time as he failed to make the cut while his expenses, that he had to pay himself, amounted to more than N$30 000.

“I didn’t realise how difficult and expensive it was to become a professional player, but it just made me more determined to qualify,” he said.

Kutara approached several potential sponsors but none were forthcoming, but his search was finally rewarded when the Electricity Control Board of Namibia decided to assist him with his expenses.

The CEO of the ECB, Siseho Simasiku said they immediately saw the potential in Kutara and decided to support him.

“When Edwin Kutara, an upcoming golfer ranked in the top 10 in Namibia, approached the ECB for help, we appreciated his potential and talent right away and did not beat about the bush,” said Simasiku.

“This is a future gem for this country – an unpolished gem, a gem worth investing in. That is why the Regulator took the first step to enable him top realize his dream of participating in the Sunshine Tour 2014 Qualifying School in Bloemfontein, South Africa,” he added.

Kutara said the sponsorship would help him a lot.

“I’m very happy about this sponsorship because the Qualifying Tour is very expensive. The entry fee alone is N$6 000, and the rest of the money will help for my accommodation in Bloemfontein,” he said.

“It’s my dream to become a professional golfer and now that I know the conditions in Bloemfontein, I am sure that I will qualify this time around,” he added.

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