The Assistant Inspector -General of Police in charge of Zone 2 Bala Hassan says golf can help reduce crime in the country, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.
Hassan, who is the proprietor of Bala Hassan Golf Club, Jos, said this at the end of the 2nd Awa Ibraheem Junior Golf Open Championships in Ikeja on Sunday.
The police chief said he was delighted that his team won trophies in the competition.
The police chief said, “The issue of crime in Jos has dropped drastically because most of these youths go there (to play golf at the club).
“Some of the youths that do not belong to the club go there to watch those playing golf to divert their minds from other anti-social activities.
“It is not only golf. In a football club, you will see one or two children that football has taken away from crime and this is another way of fighting crime.”
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Hassan told NAN that he hoped to partner the Ikoyi Golf Club to help to develop golf in the country.
He added, “I will be glad to see a Tiger Woods emerge in the next two years from either Lagos or Jos or anywhere in Nigeria. It will be a dream come true for me.”
Emy Ekong, who is the Youth Development Director, Nigeria Golf Federation, said the competition had been achieving its aim of creating awareness about the sport at the grassroots.
Ekong said the tournament had helped to get more boys and girls introduced to the sport and would ultimately prevent them from engaging in vices.
She said 166 children participated in the tournament from October 17 to 18 at the Ikeja Golf Club.
She added that the tournament, which was tied to the birthday celebration of the sponsor, Awa Ibraheem, would now be held annually.
The NGF chief said, “The aim of tournaments like this is to develop these children and create awareness about the game in them.
“You know people like us started very late but if you introduce it early to children, I think we will have better players like Tiger Woods.”
She urged parents to encourage their children to participate in sports alongside their education.
