By Kate Obodo

Honourable Daniel Makuyu last Saturday was honoured with a one-day golf tournament, held at Ibori golf and Country club in Asaba. The event was also held to mark his 45th birthday. The tournament was organised by friends and associates, whose lives Mayuya had touched positively. In this interview with Vanguard, Mayuku speaks on his humble beginning as a golfer and why Nigerians should takes to golf among others. Enjoy it.

Starting off golf

I got into golf through a friend. Then, we were together in United States of America; he went shopping to buy golf kit for himself and his wife too. While they were  there I was moved to buy some for myself. Having bought it for about a year, a friend of my came to the house and saw the golf kits, he was surprised that with the kits I was not playing the game. So he encouraged me into playing the game and that was how I started.

Tough beginning

Before I took to golf, I was a footballer and also an athlete. At first, I  assumed that it was easier than any other sport because of the way people swing the club and hit the ball so easily. But when I started playing it I saw a different sport entirely. It was really challenging. One thing about the game is by the time you overcome  one challenge another challenge comes up. In a nutshell, It is a game of life, just like life, it provides one with different challenges.

Is golf an elite sport?

No, it is not an elite sport as people perceive it. It is a game of life like I said earlier on. If you go to the golf course today, I assure you that you won’t see more than two millionaires or billionaires’ playing golf.

At the same time, you would see more than 100 low class people, who cannot afford three square meal or house. So, with such people around it, why should  it be called an elite sport? Of course people say only governors, senators and other top government functionaries play the game. If you asked me, among the 36 states that we have in Nigeria, how many governors or senators play golf?

Only one, even he is no longer a governor. And in the whole country, how many honourable members play golf? From the national level they are two and the Senate President, David Mark. And in the country, how many commissioners play? Not more than five. So why is it an elite sport?

Sincerely speaking, it is not an elite sport. It is a sport for everybody. It is just that people are ignorant of the game. It is a game that should be encouraged by the government and Nigerians.

Toughest moments

Since I started playing golf, I have never experienced any difficult moment. Golf is a stress-free game that solves problems. It wards off stress. I have a serious problem in terms of my blood pressure; for eight years now, I have been treating high blood pressure.

But since I discovered golf, I have not been admitted to the hospital. It takes your mind off stress. And by the time you are through with 18 holes you would be tired. And when you bath the next thing is to go to sleep. I know of somebody that had partial stroke and that was treated by playing golf. Today, he doesn’t really remember that he had stroke.

As a person, I have had a tough moment in my life- as a child, a boy and also as a man.But I think the toughest moment of my life was after the death of my father. It was one period in life I got confused and my life was in complete shambles. Then, there was no body to help me. After his death, I was rejected by my cousins but among all the challenges I faced as a school boy, education was my priority. As I was not carried away with youthful exuberance and social vices.

Overcoming my trials

I would say that God was always there for me alongside my desire to become a responsible person in the society.

Lesson Learned

To be always focussed no matter the circumstances that you find yourself.

Advice

Education is the key, no matter the situation you are confronting in life. And there is no excuse if you don’t get education.