"There was a risk they would be late." Belarusian Golfers Traveled for Over a Day to Reach Tournament in South Africa
Golf in Belarus is mainly developing at an amateur level. Nevertheless, Belarusian athletes regularly participate in international competitions and show decent results. Recently, our team returned from South Africa, where they took fifth place in a prestigious tournament. This is the best result for Belarusian golfers in all their time participating in these competitions.
— The BMW Golf Cup World Final is the largest amateur golf tournament. Amateurs are not a "health group" (meaning, not just casual players). These are athletes who do not receive cash prizes for victories and participation in tournaments, — Onliner was explained at the Minsk Golf Club. — In the South African city of George, 31 states presented their golfers, with three participants from each country: two men and one woman. We were represented by Olga Dik, Alexander Khmelev, and Vitaly Primak. Lidiya Kotkina and Alexander Prokarym competed in the tournament for delegation members.
Due to the closure of airspace in a number of countries, our golfers were forced to change their route and travel to the competition venue with three transfers: in Moscow, Cairo, and Johannesburg. They spent 15 hours in the air, and the entire journey to South Africa took more than a day. There was a risk that the team would be late for the tournament, but everything worked out. They arrived, and the competitions began the very next morning. It was difficult.
— Did the golfers pay for their participation themselves? — I clarified with the interlocutor.
— Olga, Alexander, and Vitaly became the winners of the Belarusian national selection, which took place last autumn. They qualified based on sporting merit. In accordance with agreements with the organizer, the costs for flights, accommodation, and accreditation of the athletes are covered by the host party — the Minsk Golf Club and its partner. But there's an important nuance: golfers can only participate in this tournament once. As a result, representatives of Mexico became champions, the Indian team took second place, China was third, and Belarusians finished the competition in fifth position in the team standings. As reported by the Minsk Golf Club, this is the best result in five years of performances at the BMW Golf Cup World Final.
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