Premier league footballer Nahki Wells helped make the launch of a new golf tournament in his name a “gleaming success” for the ConnecTech IT school this Sunday.

The inaugural ConnecTech Annual Golf Tournament included the Kids Putting Event in which 24 youngsters got a chance to chat with Wells and sign balls and jerseys.

The event at the Belmont golf course helped ConnecTech raise bursaries as part of the centre’s mission to offer coding classes to all Bermuda’s young students.

Belmont pro Camiko Smith helped show the children the ropes before the competition started.

“They got an awesome chance to hang out and chat before the awarding of prizes,” said Coral Wells, the player’s stepmother and the founder of ConnecTech.

“They were so excited to meet him — one young man and his little sister were just over the moon.

“Nahki is very down-to-earth and humble; he will sit and chat with anyone. It makes it such an easy fit when we asked him to help.

“Nahki has watched ConnecTech grow and expand and back in 2016 he helped us launch. Teaching coding is something we didn’t have when he was growing up.”

The group thanked One Communications, its gold sponsor, along with silver sponsor XL Catlin.

ConnecTech’s primary focus is on teaching children about technology, especially how to code, and its goal is to offer coding opportunities to all the island’s young people.

The school does not offer full bursaries, but provides support for parents who need help sending their children to its camps and after-school programmes.

ConnecTech has given out about 75 bursaries over its past two years, Ms Wells said.

The noon shotgun golf tournament involved 19 teams with Link Bermuda providing a $50,000 cash prize for anyone who was able to get the hole-in-one at the designated hole, plus an additional $500 if the players were to get a hole-in-one on any other hole.

The big prizes went unclaimed but will remain for the taking next year, as ConnecTech develops the event.

Ms Wells said: “This year, Nahki was our elite athlete. Our plan is to get more English Premier League players involved.

“Various angles are being explored to grow the tournament.”