Namakula is the biggest female golfer, says Owori

Owori says Namakula is not only an inspiration to the young girls and women in this country but to the men as well. Courtesy photo

What you need to know:

Sylvia Owori, a fashion designer, who is also a panellist on NTV style project, talked to Esther Oluka about golfer and UPDF sergeant Flavia Namakula.

I did run a story on Flavia Namakula in one of the editions of African Woman, a magazine I founded. I did that because I considered her to be inspirational as the other women we had featured before, including The Nnabagereka (Queen) of Buganda, Sylvia Nagginda and Best Kemigisa, Tooro’s Queen mother.

Not many women in this country can do what Namakula does. She competes in various tournaments both locally and internationally and has also gone ahead to win various titles in a sport that is mainly dominated by the men. One of her remarkable career highlights that I can easily remember was the triumphant win she scored during the third Uganda Ladies Open title back in October last year, which cemented her place as one of the greatest female golfers this country has ever had.

On why she thinks golf is still unpopular among the women
Golf is still probably being shunned because the women perceive it as boring, a sport of the rich people and mostly for the men. I believe that such a mentality can be changed if parents start encouraging their children to participate in golf right from an early age. By doing this, they will be making it easy for their children to fall in love with it.

Owori’s message to Namakula
Flavia Namakula, I celebrate you because you are one of the biggest female golfers we have in this country. I know other women in Uganda and Africa as a whole do the same because your name is in the history books as one of the renowned sports women in this country.

You are not only an inspiration to the young girls and women in this country but to the men as well. Who knows? In the near future, golf may become one of the biggest sporting activities in this country because of you. Continue to do what you do and love.

Advice to the other women
I urge all women out there never to give up in life no matter what they may be passing through in life. Always remember that you can be whoever you want to be in life once you set your mind on achieving that particular goal. And to the young girls out there, I encourage them to embrace Namakula’s spirit of hard work, determination, dedication and zeal.