RM8,000 grant awaits winners of AmBank SportExcel tourney

AmBank group senior vice president and head corporate communications and marketing Syed Anuar Syed Ali (right) presenting the mock cheque to SportExcel executive director C.Sivanandan (left) during the 9th AmBank Group-SportExcel International Junior Golf Championship 2014 press conference at Wisma OCM on Tuesday.

KUALA LUMPUR: There will be much to play for when the ninth edition of the AmBank SportExcel International Junior Golf Championships tees off at the Kota Permai Golf and Country Club in Shah Alam from Dec 16-18.

The best overall winners of the boys’ and girls’ categories will, for the first time, be rewarded with one-month scholarships worth RM8,000 each by the Hills International Golf Academy.

World No. 8 and two-time PGA Tour winner Jason Day and former world No. 1 and five-time LPGA Major winner Tseng Yani of Taiwan are among the top names who have attended the prestigious academy, which is based in Queensland, Australia.

A total of 124 golfers, including 62 international players – from Thailand (29), India (10), China (eight), Singapore (seven), Hong Kong (five), Japan (two) and Brunei (one) have registered for the event.

The players’ scores will be divided according to their age groups – under-10, 11-12, 13-14 and 15-18 – for both boys and girls.

The championships will also be held simultaneously with the SportExcel National Junior Golf Circuit Grand Finals.

It means that the top 60 local juniors who make the cut after competing over eight legs of the circuit, besides competing against the international peers, will also be vying among themselves for the Tan Sri Azman Hashim trophy, named after the AmBank Group Chairman.

Title sponsor AmBank have continued their support by pledging RM75,000 for the grassroots development event.

“We, at AmBank, share the same vision with SportExcel, firmly believing that the future of Malaysian sports lies in the sustainable junior sport development programme. And, by providing support to grasroots development, it will unearth new talents,” said senior vice-president of AmBank Group after presenting the mock cheque to C. Sivanandan, the executive director of SportExcel.

“We are proud to come on board as the main sponsor again.”