As part of the launch of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, the three sanctioning Tours – the Sunshine, European and Asian Tours, competed against each other in the Three Tour Charity Challenge to raise funds for charities selected by each of the main tournament sponsors, AfrAsia Bank, Rogers Capital and Anahita Group.
The teams, made up of five professional players from each Tour and captained by the Tour’s CEO or COO, competed against each other in a Ryder Cup format over nine holes of the par three golf course at the Heritage Golf Club.
James Benoit, CEO at AfrAsia Bank, said: “We believe this is an exciting and noble cause. It speaks to our commitment to social responsibility that reinforces sustaining positive social development in the communities we operate in. We are delighted that the Tours have risen to the challenge, and believe they will play exciting rounds of golf for the benefit of the underprivileged."
Beneficiaries of the Three Tour Charity Challenge include the AfrAsia Golf Academy. The main aim of the programme is to make golf more accessible to a segment of the population that would not ordinarily have access to the game and at the same time identifying new talent. The programme benefits 40 children aged 9 – 15 from the Ti Rayon Soleil non-governmental organisation which is dedicated to assisting children and vulnerable people.
The charity selected by Rogers Capital is the Centre for Education and Child Development South (CEDES), which is a project in partnership with the Charles Telfair Institute (CTI) and was established to meet a strong need for child care services in the villages of Choisy, Cape Bay, Saint Martin, Bel Ombre and Rivière des Galets. The Health Business Coalition, which is a network of companies working to improve the management of Mauritius health issues will also be a beneficiary. This initiative began in December 2010, and is dedicated to advancing Mauritius health issues, developing a true common advocacy force, but also exchanging best practices, and initiating possible joint projects amongst members.
Commenting on their involvement, Rogers CEO Philippe Espitalier-Noël said, “We are honoured and excited to play a role in the Three Tour Charity Challenge. It will not only add to the excitement of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, but more importantly it will benefit the less fortunate. We are fully committed to playing our role in being a good corporate citizen and this is one of the ways we believe we can showcase this commitment”.
The third beneficiary selected by Anahita and the Foundation Ciel Nouveau Regard is Caritas. This is an initiative that grew when Anahita and Caritas, teamed up to build a community development project to assist in breaking the cycle of poverty. The project will provide each family in vulnerable situations a range of services that will meet their needs. Caritas Mauritius was founded in March 1966, and its main aim is to rehabilitate the poor, vulnerable and marginalised communities. They offer varied support to the communities to enable them to recover their dignity, and together build a fair and supportive community. They currently have 50,000 beneficiaries of the services they provide.
“Mauritius’s social development is important for us at Anahita that is why we are proud to join AfrAsia Bank and Rogers Capital in sponsoring the Three Tour Charity Challenge. Today's contribution is another milestone in our long journey which symbolizes our continued commitment to the social initiatives undertaken by the Foundation and Anahita in working with our partner Caritas,” said Alteo Properties Ltd CEO, Patrice Legris.
Star players from the three Tours that participated include George Coetzee, Thomas Aiken, Thomas Bjorn, Thorborn Olesen, Kiradech Aphibarnrat, and Scott Hend.
Team Asian Tour won the Three Tour Charity Challenge winning Rs 200 000 for the AfrAsia Bank charity, Ti Rayon Soleil.
Team Sunshine Tour placed second winning Rs 150 000 for the Anahita charity, Caritas.
Team European Tour placed third winning Rs 100 000 for the Rogers Capital charity, Association CoQuille Bonheur.
(Rs – denotes Mauritian Rupees)
The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open is the first ever tri-sanctioned golf tournament endorsed by the Sunshine, European and Asian Tours.
