Fourteen Australian golfers are set to participate in the Jack Akbar Shield 2024 golf tournament, which kicks off today at the Fiji Golf Club.
Susan Yee, secretary of the Fiji Senior Golfers Association, remarked that the Jack Akbar Shield has been an annual event that continues to grow, with a participant count of 64 expected this year. She noted that all past winners, with the exception of Jack Reddy, will compete in this year’s tournament, making it intriguing to see if a former champion will reclaim the title or if a new contender will emerge victorious.
The tournament format will be a stroke play event, where the golfer with the lowest net score, regardless of gender, will be crowned the winner of the Jack Akbar Shield. Established in 2015 to honor the memory of golf enthusiast Jack Akbar, who passed away in Malaysia in 2014, the tournament has become a highly anticipated event on the seniors’ golfing calendar.
Jack Akbar, born in Suva in 1929, was known for his early education at Marist Brothers Primary School and St Teresa Catholic School in Ba. He began his career as an apprentice with the Public Works Department (PWD) before moving on to manage the machine shop at Burns Philp, now known as Asco Motors. Akbar founded Akbar Engineering Ltd in 1974.
He excelled in sports, initially as a tennis player before taking up golf in the late 1970s. His commitment to physical activity was part of his efforts to manage diabetes, which he developed in his early 40s. Jack was also deeply involved in social work, having held various leadership roles, including president of the Suva Jaycees and the Rotary Club of Suva, as well as serving as a Justice of Peace.
His contributions to the community earned him an MBE from the Queen in 1987. Jack was supported throughout his endeavors by his wife, Gulnoor Akbar, who was a regular presence at the Jack Akbar Shield prize-giving ceremonies before her passing.
Previous winners of the Shield include Thiphait Hussein, Gardiner Whiteside, Ishwar Nand, Kevin McCarthy, and the defending champion, Shalendra Prasad, who will look to maintain his title this year.