Montfort - Sabah

Golf tourney raises RM370,000 for Montfort

Kota Kinabalu: A total of RM370,000 was raised for the Montfort Charity Golf Tournament which concluded at the Sabah Golf and Country Club, here, Saturday.

The event was graced by guest of honour, Head of State Tun Ahmadshah Abdullah. Montfort Youth Training Centre's (MYTC) Chairman of the Board of Governors Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, who is also Minister in the Prime Minister's Department was also present.

A total of 140 golfers took part in the event to raise funds for the ongoing construction for Phase Two of MYTC where a workshop and staff quarters are been built at its new and bigger campus at Kinarut.

Dompok, during the prize presentation, thanked the donors, participants and organising committee for coming forward to lend a helping hand to serve the underprivileged.

"I am happy with the commitment and contributions of the organising committee members who have extended most of the time and efforts for the past one and a half months in making the tournament a success to assist the poor and underprivileged from the interior," he said.

In the efforts to bring about more awareness on the mission of Montfort, the organising committee, led by organising chairman Willie Ng, has decide to make it an annual affair with the kicking off of the Montfort Challenge Cup which will be held on July 17, next year, at the SGCC.

Dompok launched the Challenge Cup at the prize presentation ceremony.

Willie, said after deducting some RM45,000 for expenditures incurred for the tournament, about RM330,000 will all go to Montfort.

Willie said Montfort has a lot to thank for in this tournament with the generosity of the sponsors, both private and public sectors, participants as well as his committee members, who took part, knowing very well, that it was for a worthy and genuine cause.

He also commended Peter Anthony, Thomas Chiu and Henry Goh for bending backwards to help in this good cause.

Willie said the youths are worth helping as MYTC's two-year residential programmes teach living skills and are tailored to instil discipline, guidance, spiritual formation, skills and leadership training to prepare them for gainful employment.

"The youths between 16 and 19 years old are mostly from remote areas and have no access to skills training. At Montfort, they will be trained to be highly skilled persons with the right attitude and moral values which are important assets to the State and nation," he said.

The overall champion was Nicholas Gilai. Peter Anthony won the A Medal followed by Khalid Mohd and Remy Anthony. Peter generously donated the prize to Montfort.

The B Medal was won by Ng Loong Fah, followed by Foong June Choy, Osman Zaiman, Sia Hiong Tee, Alex Lee, Lim Shau Kong, Joannes Solidau and Jinot Tinggal.

The C Medal winners were Loke Sik Foo followed by Charles Boyou, Tai Khiam Hiong, David Ho, Dr Gordon Loke and Fred Fung.

Tun Ahmadshah was also among the winners in the C Medal, including Moo Fah Chung, Hj Shariman, Kanesan N. Datuk Iskandar Malik and Vali Gunsing.

Anthony Chiu took the Senior Section title followed by Dr Thomas Lau while the Ladies Section winner was Mrs G Bandusena.

Among the winners of the novelty prizes were Rajesh Yusof (longest drive), Donald Mojuntin (nearest to point) and William Tan and Shariman Abdullah (nearest to line).

Charles Boyou, Latif Lait and C P Poon struck the Bulls-eye.

Tournament director George Bandusena, who is also SGCC President, was also present to oversee the success of the tournament.