The seventh edition of the Play With Stephen Golf Tournament, themed “Swing for Autism,” has brought together 69 golfers at the Lakowe Lakes Golf and Country Estate in Lagos, in a strong show of support for people living with autism and their families.
Convened by golfer Stephen Onaivi, the tournament used sport, networking and entertainment to draw attention to autism, while raising support and promoting greater understanding and acceptance of people on the autism spectrum.
The event, which previously held in Ghana, attracted golfers and stakeholders from Nigeria, Ghana and other backgrounds, with participants describing the initiative as an important platform for combining their passion for golf with a worthy social cause.
Speaking at the tournament, Moses Kanduri from Ghana, who was participating in the Play With Stephen tournament for the first time in Nigeria, said the event had created an atmosphere of friendship, fun and purpose.
“It’s been an amazing vibe since we got here yesterday, a lot of friendship, a lot of camaraderie. We anticipate a lot of fun, and I know it’s going to be fun,” Kanduri said.
According to him, his participation was driven not only by his love for golf but also by his desire to support Onaivi’s efforts to raise funds and awareness for autism.
“Play With Stephen is a very noble cause, and it’s the reason why some of us travel for him. One is to help him achieve his aim, to raise money to support autism, and number two is to just enjoy the game. It’s a beautiful game. It’s an addictive game,” he said.
Kanduri, an avid golfer who said he has played in 47 countries and over 110 golf courses, also highlighted the role of golf in building relationships across national and social boundaries.
He explained that spending several hours on a golf course with people from different backgrounds provides an opportunity to build friendships and valuable networks.
“You have 18 holes, let me say three and a half hours, working with four people you know, sometimes you do not know. What will you be talking about in those four hours? That’s very important. It builds bonds,” he said.
“Networks, you can’t buy certain networks. Those networks you can get for free on the golf course.”
Addressing the perception that golf is exclusively an expensive sport, Kanduri said every sport has its own demands and costs, stressing that his passion for golf developed from his love for the game rather than wealth.
“I was a professional footballer. And after football, I took to golf, not because I have the money, but because I enjoy the process,” he said.
Another participant, Tony, who has taken part in previous editions in Ghana, said the tournament was different because it went beyond competition.
“I have done twice in Ghana; this is my third time here in Nigeria. And why I look out for it is because of the reason for the game. Not just to swing, you are swinging for a cause,” he said.
Tony said the tournament was helping to educate the public about autism and the challenges faced by people living with the condition and their families.
“It does not take an arm and a leg to push that message forward so they can understand the challenges and how to accommodate those that have that situation,” he said.
Describing golf as a unifying force, Tony said the sport brought people together irrespective of nationality or background.
“When you get on the golf course, you become one. You accommodate everybody, you have all the challenges, you surmount these challenges, uniting the nation, the country, the world. Golf is life,” he said.
He also called for increased awareness about autism, noting that misconceptions and stigma continue to affect people on the spectrum.
“There are great people that are autistic. We call some of them derogatory names. Some will say it is diabolical. We have to accommodate them. Autism is not a sickness. It’s not communicable,” Tony said.
For Oscar Oyinsan, Chief Executive Officer of Rapid Broadcasting Network, participating in the tournament was both an enjoyable and enlightening experience.
Oyinsan, who said it was his first time taking part in a tournament of this nature, praised the calibre of golfers and the cause behind the event.
“The game has been interesting. This is my first time in a tournament like this and when you look at the hierarchy and the calibre of golfers here, you wait your turn. But it was interesting. It was insightful,” he said.
“More importantly, because it is for a cause, autism. So Stephen put this together and we’re here to show our support, but it was enlightening and humbling.”
Oyinsan described the “Swing for Autism” concept as a noble initiative capable of amplifying an important social message.
“I think there are certain causes that need to be projected and amplified. So Swing for Autism is definitely a different way of saying the same thing,” he said.
He said the event had also increased his understanding of the challenges surrounding autism, including stigma and widespread misconceptions.
“This was even educational for me in terms of how autism is misunderstood, the number of people living with autism, the stigma that comes with autism and all of that,” Oyinsan said.
As a media executive and father, he pledged to explore ways of supporting the autism community, including through the media.
“Rapid TV showing support is one of the ways that we’ve been able to help. And we intend to do more as time goes on,” he added.
Also supporting the initiative was Eziafakaku Nwokolo, Team Lead, Shades of Life, who participated through cycling and has maintained a relationship with Onaivi from the days of the event in Accra, Ghana.
Nwokolo said she and her colleagues had previously cycled to Accra and continued their journey of solidarity by travelling to Benin Republic before arriving in Lagos for this year’s tournament.
She said their participation was particularly important because some members of their community are parents of children on the autism spectrum.
“We would have all been sleeping or enjoying Sunday rest, but you can see that we’re here, because apart from being a mom, some of us are fathers, mothers, with children on the spectrum, and so it’s imperative that we keep educating everybody, so that we are accepted as a community,” Nwokolo said.
She also urged the media to become more deliberate in the way autism is represented, stressing that inappropriate language can further stigmatise people on the spectrum.
“Sometimes when we hear how our community or our children are represented, we get goosebumps, because the language that’s used, the words that are used are not representative of our community,” she said.
Nwokolo offered to provide free training for journalists and media organisations seeking to improve their understanding and reporting of autism.
“Whenever you all are ready, TVC, AIT, Channels, Arise TV, call us at Shades of Life and we’ll come and give you free training,” she said.
The seventh edition of the Play With Stephen Golf Tournament demonstrated how sporting events can be used beyond competition to address social issues. Through “Swing for Autism,” Onaivi and the participating golfers sought to turn their shared passion for golf into a platform for education, advocacy, inclusion and support for people living with autism.
