By FELIX MALUNGA –

STANBIC Bank Zambia has poured K20,000 into this weekend’s Nchanga Open Golf Championship in Chingola, becoming title sponsors for the 2014 edition.

This gesture comes barely a week after Stanbic committed K140,000 into the prestigious Mopani Copper Mines Zambia Open Golf Championship as a gold sponsor.

Stanbic head of corporate and investment banking, Paul Richards said the financial institution valued its partnership with Nchanga Golf Club, which dates back to 2006 when the bank was the title sponsor for the Zambia Open held in Ndola.

Richards said Stanbic could not only have business partnerships in Chingola but extend its valued relationships outside the usual norms of business with golf providing such a platform.

He said the bank was confident that the players, most of whom were Stanbic’s clients, would enjoy the two-day golfing spectacle.

“We value our partnership with Nchanga Golf Club and Chingola as one of the economic hubs of the Copperbelt. We will not only have business partnerships in Chingola but extend our valued relationships outside the usual norms of business with golf providing such a platform. We are confident that the players most of whom are our clients will enjoy the golf day,” Richards said.

Nchanga captain, Emmanuel Mali said the Stanbic sponsored event had attracted more than 120 golfers drawn from across the nation.

The Stanbic Nchanga Open will avail a chance for a nine players picked for this month’s Zone Six Championships and the All Africa Junior Challenge to showcase their potential before venturing into international engagements.

Zambia Golf Union (ZGU) honorary secretary, Kelly Munsaka said the players would compete in the Zone Six set for Devonvale Golf Estate in Cape Town, South Africa and the All Africa Junior Challenge at Chainama Hills Golf Club in Lusaka later this month.