Top Golfers from Asia pledge donations for Japan earthquake victims
Top golfers from South Korea and Japan who are currently playing on professional circuits have decided to lend support to the earthquake stricken Japan with generous donations. The first golfer to come up with the idea was Ryuji Imada, who originally hails
from Japan. Imada announced that he will be donating $1000 for each birdie on his current tournament in high profile Transitions Cup at Innisbrook Resort. He also left a hand written note in the lockers of the participants asking them for donations.
"I have my parents, my brother and sister (in Japan),'' said Imada, a native of Hiroshima. “I knew where the earthquake hit and I knew it was nowhere near my parents, so I assumed they were OK. I later talked to them and everybody is fine. But Japan is not.”
For the opening round though, he wasn’t able to bring in any birdies, instead, he stumbled with three bogeys. Imada moved to the US at the age of 14 to pursue his career in golf and has been living there since then.
South Korean golf star, K.J Choi, also pledged to donate $100,000 to the relief fund set up by the Japanese Government for the victims through his personnel foundation. Choi’s generous move was hailed by the media as well as by many fellow golfers playing
alongside him.
"It is shocking and terribly sad to see what is happening every day in Japan and the difficulty they face in overcoming this disaster. The situation in Japan impacts us all on a global level," Choi said.
Japan is still struggling to cope with the human and economic crisis at home, caused by the massive 8.9 magnitude earthquake last week. The disaster has left one of the economic giants of the world in a weakened state. The large tsunami triggered by the
earthquake has badly damaged life and property on the eastern coast of the country. The impending nuclear disaster has also caught the eye of the world media as the badly damaged Daiichi Nuclear Power plant continues to emit high levels of radioactivity.
The Japanese Men’s Golf Tour organizers have also vowed to go ahead with the tour scheduled next month despite all odds. The tour executive director, Andy Yamanaka, told the media that the tour will help raise money for the victims’ families affected by
the disaster and plans to hold the season opening tour in Nagoya from 14 to 17 April as planned. He explained, "Most of the sponsors want to host the events, even though there has been major damage (in the north of Japan). We're thinking about what we can
do to raise money and make donations to support the victims."
The Women’s World number one, Yani Tseng from Taiwan, was also among the first ones who pledged to donate generously for the cause. Tseng, is participating in the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup, and aims to support the relief and rehabilitation work in Japan.
She said, "I have a soft spot in my heart for children so I hope my play in Phoenix can help this great cause."
Tseng was particularly impressed by the UNICEF’s program for clean drinking water and plans to donate for that cause.
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