(Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates): Black Knight International and the Abu Dhabi Sports Council announced today that the UAE will host a Gary Player Invitational event at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club in Abu Dhabi on Monday, February 8, 2016.
The first of a new five-year cooperation between the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and Black Knight International, next year’s event will feature an all-star professional lineup alongside tournament host and global golfing icon, Gary Player. The participants will be announced in due course and provide sponsors and partners’ guests with a once-in-a-lifetime golf experience. The world-leading charity golf series, a true union of golf and giving, has raised more than $60 million for charities worldwide, with the ambition to surpass $100 million in donations by 2020. A specific UAE beneficiary charity will be selected by The Player Foundation, working closely with Emirates Red Crescent.
“Abu Dhabi now holds a prominent position in world golf, and the course design at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club is some of our finest design work in the world,” said Gary Player. “The combination of these two factors, as well as His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan and the Abu Dhabi Sports Council’s support, will propel this event to the highest-level. I am very grateful for their commitment as we strive to make a real difference and improve millions of lives worldwide.”
Today also heralded the prestigious announcement of Royal Patronage for the event from His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, symbolizing the intent to establish a position as the UAE’s leading cause-related golf event. Moving forward a number of unique health and wellness initiatives will be implemented in support of the golf event and its charity fundraising.
“We are thrilled to announce our new partnership with Black Knight International and look forward to achieving many great things together,” said His Excellency Aref Hamad Al Awani, General Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council. “I would like to thank His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan for his patronage and with Gary Player’s status as a global golfing icon, the union of three such powerful forces provides us with a unique opportunity to deliver on Abu Dhabi Sports Council’s guiding mission of integrating sports and Abu Dhabi society to form healthier communities.”
The inaugural event will feature a Welcome Reception at the stylish Saadiyat Beach Club on the evening of February 7, followed by an 18-hole Pro-Am tournament and Charity Gala Dinner on February 8 at the event’s official hotel, the Park Hyatt, Abu Dhabi.
For more information on the Gary Player Invitational series, visit www.garyplayerinvitational.com and follow @GPInvitational on Twitter – #GOLFandGIVING
ABOUT BLACK KNIGHT INTERNATIONAL
Established in 1983 by Marc Player, Black Knight International is a global holding company for The Player Group and the constantly expanding family of Gary Player® brands. With a powerful presence in North and South America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, Black Knight is a multicultural and multilingual company offering branded services for the leisure and real estate industries. This rapidly growing firm is diverse and infused with the same tenaciousness and drive as Gary Player, world renowned iconic golfer. The holding company divisions include: Gary Player Design, Player Real Estate, Black Knight Enterprises, Black Knight Solutions, Black Knight Capital, Gary Player Academies, and The Player Foundation.
ABOUT THE PLAYER FOUNDATION
The Player Foundation was established in 1983 by Marc Player. What began as an effort to provide education, nutrition, medical care and athletic activities, for a small community of disadvantaged children living on the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa has now blossomed into an organization that circles the globe bringing aid to underprivileged children and impoverished communities.
The Foundation is funded primarily by six Gary Player Invitational events presented through Black Knight International. Pairing celebrities and professional golfers from the PGA and Champions Tours with businessmen and international sports figures, the annual tournaments are staged in the United States, China, Europe and South Africa. The proceeds of these tournaments and other special events provide funding for an ever- expanding number of institutions around the world, including the Blair Atholl Schools in South Africa, the Pleasant City Elementary School in Palm Beach, the Masizame in Plettenberg Bay, South Africa, and AIDS infected children in Baoshan, a drug-infested city located on the China-Burma border. Since its establishment, The Player Foundation has donated more than $60 million to the support of children’s charities, the betterment of impoverished communities and the expansion of educational opportunities throughout the world.
Gary Player, acknowledged as a world-class humanitarian, believes that the strength of our future depends upon the abilities of our children. “I have found that the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others does not thrust itself upon us,” Player says, “But we do not need to look hard for it either. When you spot the chance to give back to the world, act on it. You will have made life better, for others, and for yourself.”
The Gary Player Foundation is a non-profit 501 C (3) organization managed by Black Knight International in Palm Beach, Florida.
Contact:
David Collins – Wasserman Media Group (on behalf of BKI)
dcollins@wmgllc.com
+971 55 568 9913
Meagan Fester – Black Knight International
meagan@garyplayer.co.za
+27 21 448 7777
Bo Wood – Black Knight International
b.wood@garyplayer.com
+ 1 864 477 2720