PETALING JAYA: After not being held for a decade, the National Press Club (NPC) Golf tournament made a glamorous comeback at the Tropicana Golf and Country Resort today (Nov 26).
The event was graced by Sultan of Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, who is a keen sportsman himself, and Tengku Ampuan Pahang, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.
The Royal couple, who are known for their sporting and down to earth nature, also presented prizes to the winners and surprised the crowd by singing a number of songs during the post-tournament lunch.
The tournament, organised with the support of the Youth and Sports Ministry and Shekhinah PR, attracted a total of 102 players from across the nation.
In the end, it was Rastam Ariffin Ahmad Khairuddin who secured the men's title on 41 points while the women's title was won by Ruth Cabalero (37 points).
NPC president Datuk Ahirudin Attan was pleased with the support the tournament received.
"After not organising the tournament for 10 years, we just wanted to do it and see what kind of reception we get because we were not sure what to expect," said Ahirudin.
"Alhamdulillah, it turned out quite well. We received a good number of sponsors and supporters as well as participants.
"Most importantly, we were able to get the Royal couple on board and not only did they play in the tournament but they also sang for us.
"If we hold the event again next year, we will try to get a key figure, such as Tuanku, to join us and bring together various parties from the business fraternity, government as well as journalists."
On a separate note, Ahirudin urged the younger generation of journalists to join NPC, which runs various educational programmes and welfare initiatives.
"NPC is an old club and has been around since 1948. I don't think any of you (younger reporters) are members of the club," he said.
"I would like to urge young reporters and young media practitioners to come and join the club, because the membership is not based on which media company you are from, it is on an individual basis."
The NPC Golf tournament was supported by Fraser & Neave Holdings Berhad, Dato' Nelson Fernandez,
Universal Fitness & Leisure Berhad Sdn Bhd, CitaGlobal, Weststar Maxus, Milo Malaysia, Mazda (Bermaz Auto), FN Initiative, Ducati Malaysia, Carro Sdn Bhd, MalayMail, MSTGolf, Kami Shampoo, Titoni, Lavand, Car & Co, Dorsett, Cameron Valley, Dato' James Selvaraj, AdamPrimus Chartered Accountants, Tupperware, Allianz, and Camotional Cooling x AX Film.