Oman Air Golf Tourney on grand scale at Victoria Dec. 19

by S.M. Jiffrey ADBEEN - Kandy Sports Corr.

GOLF: Victoria Golf and Country Resort will have its final bash for the year when the Oman Air Stableford golf championship gets underway at the Victoria golf course at Rajawella off Kandy next Saturday December 19th commencing at 7.30 a.m.

The organisers have already received a large number of enteries despite the festive season mood more entries are expected in the next few days. Oman Air, the flagship carrier of the Sultanate of Oman's aviation sector, first commenced operation in 1993 as a regional player and has witnessed rapid growth since its humble beginnings. The airline offers an outstanding First and Business class product, excellent services and a modern fleet, positioning itself as a boutique airline in the premium segment.

Oman Air commenced operations in Sri Lanka on November 14th, 2009, making Colombo its 32nd destination.

The carrier will initially operate four flights per week and have obtained 5th freedom traffic rights between Colombo and the Republic of Maldives from January next year, and will progress to daily flights from Summer 2010.

This Stableford Golf championship will be followed by the grand Christmas bash and a glittering awards ceremony with the Chief Executive Officer of the Oman Air - Peter Hill gracing the occasion as the Chief Guest along with the local Country Manager Gihan Karunaratne.

Some of the events which are expected to be worked off are: Ladies and Gentlemen - Gross Championship, Ladies and Gentlemen - Nett championship, Ladies and Gentlemen - Longest Drive competition, Ladies and Gentlemen - Nearest to the Pin competition, Ladies and Gentlemen - Nearest to the Line competition. Overall Nett championship.

With showers experienced in the Victoria region, the course is in fine condition and the luxuriant growth of grass has made the course look beautiful and made challenging by the Course Manager maheel Bulumulla under the guidance of the General Manager Errol Johnston.

It will be exciting to play in this course in its present condition said the General Manager Errol Johnston himself a golfer of repute and with the longest drive as his forte.

Victoria golf course is a picture of beauty and has won the award as the Best golf course in the 'Sub-Continent' for the year 2009. It also won this award in 2008. This course which was opened for golfers in 1998 has all the charms and an excellent climatic condition to make tourists tie up golf with tourism. It offers a fine challenge to the golfers to use their experience to come to terms with it.

This course has been built upto an maintained to USGA standards. It has three holes which are over 500 yards apart and this was designed in 1997 by the internationally acclaimed golf architects Donald Steel and Company.

The Oman Air Golf Championship is going to be one of the major tournaments to be held at Victoria and the entry forms could be had from Royal Colombo Golf Club, Nuwara Eliya Golf Club and Victoria Golf and Country Resort on Telephone No. 081 2376376 or contact Dhanushika Medagoda on mobile No. 0777 840894.