About 140 Fijian golfers will take part in the annual Extra Supermarket sponsored Girmit Open Golf Tournament at the Fiji Golf Club this weekend where participants and spectators will also get a chance to learn about Girmit history.
Global Girmit Institute Chairman Dr Ganesh Chand says the competition is annually held to support the sport of golf and increase awareness on Girmit in Fiji.
Dr Chand says there will be invited guests to talk about Girmit history.
He further says there will be about 20 professional golfers taking part in the tournament, including Mahmood Buksh and Isei Waqa who became a professional last year.
Buksh says golfers have been preparing really well as they want to compete against the best.
Meanwhile, Extra's Dhiraj Singh says they are proud to sponsor this annual event as their sponsorship underlines their continuing commitment of building sports in Fiji.
Singh adds sports is a vital activity in Fiji to bring people together.
This year, the total prize pool for the event is about $30,000, with a cash prize pool of $20,000 for the professional golf category, and attractive prizes for amateur golfers.
Extra has been the major sponsor for the 36-hole Girmit Golf Open since 2022.
Its over $20,000 sponsorship includes $15,000 cash prize towards the prize pool for professional golfers.
Organising Committee Chairman Satya Shandil says other sponsors are Fiji Professional Golf Association, and a number of individuals.
Meanwhile, the theme for the 146th Girmit Day celebration is "Preserving the Past, Envisioning the Future."
The celebrations will take place from Saturday to Girmit Day on Monday at Subrail Park in Labasa.
The public holiday for Girmit is on Monday 12th May.
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