Fourteen Australian golfers are participating 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, stated that the Jack Akbar Shield, held annually, continues to expand with an expected 64 participants this year. She noted that all previous winners will compete this year except for Jack Reddy, raising the possibility of a past champion reclaiming the title or a new winner emerging.
The tournament will be a stroke event, where the competitor with the lowest net score—either male or female—will take home the Jack Akbar Shield. The event was established in 2015 to honor the late golf enthusiast Jack Akbar, who passed away in Malaysia in 2014.
“This shield has become a highly anticipated annual fixture on the seniors’ calendar since the passing of Mohammed Razak Akbar, affectionately known as Jack Akbar,” Yee remarked.
Born in Suva in 1929, Akbar attended local schools before beginning an apprenticeship with the Public Works Department. He later joined Burns Philp (now Asco Motors) and founded Akbar Engineering Ltd in 1974.
Initially a tennis player, he switched to golf in the late 1970s while managing his health issues, including diabetes. Akbar was also deeply involved in social work, holding president roles in organizations such as the Suva Jaycees and the Rotary Club of Suva, as well as serving as a Justice of the Peace and honorary consul for Pakistan. He was awarded an MBE by the Queen in 1987 for his contributions.
His late wife, Gulnoor Akbar, was a regular presence at the Jack Akbar Shield prize-giving ceremonies.
Previous winners of the Shield include Thiphait Hussein in 2015 and 2017, Gardiner Whiteside in 2016, Jack Reddy in 2018, Ishwar Nand in 2019, Kevin McCarthy in 2022, and Shalendra Prasad, the defending champion from 2023.