Ezulwini – Thirty young golfers from across Eswatini have been selected to participate in the inaugural FNB Eswatini Junior Golf Day, a development initiative that will see children train and play alongside Sunshine Tour professionals ahead of the 2026 FNB Eswatini Challenge.
The one-day event will be held on Tuesday at MTN Golf Park in Ezulwini and forms part of activities leading up to the FNB Eswatini Challenge, which takes place from August 13 to 15 at Ezulwini Golf and Country Club.
Working with the Eswatini Golfing Union (EGU), FNB Eswatini selected 30 golfers aged between eight and 18 from different parts of the country. The youngsters will spend the day learning from and playing with six professional golfers competing on the Sunshine Tour.
FNB Eswatini Chief Marketing Officer Sibusile Dlamini said the initiative reflected the bank’s commitment to broadening access to golf, particularly for children from communities that have had limited opportunities to participate in the sport.
She said the bank had deliberately ensured that youngsters from areas such as Sihhoye, Manjengeni and Ludzeludze were included in the programme.
“We are excited to bring these 30 young golf stars together under this year’s theme, Help is for Everyone. We wanted children from different parts of the country to have an opportunity to interact with professional golfers, learn from them and return home with an unforgettable experience,” she said.
Eswatini Golfing Union Vice President Wandile Simelane said the initiative would contribute to the long-term growth of golf by exposing young players to coaching and mentorship from professionals.
He said the programme also created opportunities for children from different backgrounds to experience the sport while supporting the union’s efforts to build a pathway from beginner level to elite amateur competition.
“This gives young players an opportunity to swing, learn and dream. It also supports our vision of creating a clear development pathway for golfers across the Kingdom,” Simelane said.
The Junior Golf Day is one of the new features introduced ahead of this year’s FNB Eswatini Challenge, which will be played for a record E2.5 million prize purse.
The tournament will be preceded by a two-day Pro-Am competition involving the bank’s clients and stakeholders playing alongside professional golfers.
Fifteen emaSwati golfers are expected to compete in the main tournament, with FNB Eswatini once again setting aside E60 000 to reward the three best-performing local players.
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