News by H’ng Ying Dhung and Pooja Meenakshy A/P Viswanathan

Photos by Harin A/L Prakash and Purshotharan Nair A/L R Jayamadawan

The Global Buddies Club (GBC) UUM recently organised a sports event, “SWING & LEARN: STUDENTS’ GOLF OUTING,” on June 11th, 2024, at the Academy Golf National, UUM, from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm as a welcoming environment for cultural exchange among participants. The participants include mobility students, Centre for International Affairs and Cooperation (CIAC) staff, Academy Golf National staff and GBC committee members. By 8:00 am, participants began arriving and registering for the event. To loosen up and break the ice, participants engaged in a series of interactive activities aimed at getting to know one another at 8:30 am. Everyone started moving to the golf driving range and began the warm-up session on time at 9:00 am. The warm-up session was led by the coaches of Academy Golf National to ensure participants were ready to perform at their best.

Following the warm-up, a comprehensive golf briefing begins at 9:10 am, ensuring all participants are prepared, regardless of experience level. First, participants start by practising their grip and posture, a solid foundation for golfing that minimises the risk of injury. During the golf session until 10:30 am, participants were divided into groups of three and were very engaged under the guidance of the coaches. They offered guidance on grip, posture and aiming while participants were golfing, helping them develop a smooth and consistent putting motion.

The event concluded with a formal closing ceremony to mark the successful completion of the event. Dr. Shazwanis Shukri, the manager of the International Student & Scholar Services Division (Mobility), CIAC and the advisor of GBC, Mr Muhammad Hafiz Baharudin, assistant director of the International Student & Scholar Services Division, CIAC, and Mr. Sazanur Iman Salenin, golf coach of Academy Golf National, delivered a speech to participants, highlighting the importance of fostering meaningful cross-cultural friendships through the shared enjoyment of golf. The mobility students and GBC committee members received a medal as a souvenir for participating in the programme. Subsequently, everyone took photos and videos with lunch to conclude the event at 11:00 am.

The participants shared their positive feedback. A student said, “The coaches, CIAC staff and GBC committee members were encouraging and created a supportive environment for golfing.” Other students mentioned, “It was so much fun playing golf today. Thanks for a great event!” and “Everyone was so welcoming. I’m definitely going to practice more!”. Some students paid for extra golf balls to continue swinging at the range, so it is safe to deduce that they all had fun. The programme succeeded because it met the objectives of letting participants gain foundational knowledge and skills, potentially igniting a passion for the game and improving social interaction, especially among mobility students. Optimistically, GBC would be organising more events that create a lasting positive impact and hope to foster cross-cultural relationships and cultural exchanges among one another.