As preparations for the highly anticipated 2021 Katsina international polo tournament moves to higher gears, there is an exciting mixture of the old and the young ones in the newly elected management committee of the ancient Katsina Polo Club with the emergence of Ibrahim Usman Sarki as captain.

Coming weeks before the international tourney that would gallop off 2021/2022 polo season in the country, Sarki’s appointment is seen by enthusiasts as a deliberate attempt by the club to reinvigorate the game of kings in the kingdom reserved as the “Home of Polo in Nigeria.”

To work with Sarki are new Vice-Captain Mustapha Bajiwa while the new the executive committee is headed by Dan Madamin Katsina, Prince Usman Usman Nagogo as the Chairman.

The new captain expressed delight at the huge responsibility handed him by the club, adding the new committee that is saddled with the responsibility of hosting the 2021 edition as its first assignment, is poised to organise one of the best polo festivals.

Sarki hinted that as part of his policy outline, the new management plans to use the choice sport of polo in showcasing to the world that the state has the potential and welcomes prospective investors as the game serves as a world-class recreation and quality hospitality.

 “Our love and passion for the oldest team sport in the world is second to none and in all my involvements so far, we’ve demonstrated this tenacity, zeal, and commitment to the promotion of the game not only in the state but across the country generally,” Sarki told NationSport in Bauchi.

Chairman of the new executive committee Prince Nagogo whose grandparents are revered as the founding fathers of the game of kings in the northern part of the country, is confident the new executives are poised to take the game of polo to the next level in Katsina.

Read Also: Aisha Buhari Invitational: LOC committed to a successful tourney

He noted that polo and sports generally, remains not only a veritable tool for fostering friendship, national unity, and cross-cultural understanding but also a magnet for international diplomacy and global investment, adding that the noble game is a catalyst for business.

The newly-elected committee also has Salisu Ado Shinkafi as the Vice Chairman, Abdul Idris Maska retains his seat as the Secretary, and Sani Lawal B/K is the Financial Secretary, just as Barrister Abdul Ladan is the Legal Adviser of the foremost polo club.

Other members of the management committee include Kabbir Suka who is the Public relation Officer and Kabir Mohammed Sani (ULLE) who is the stalwart of the Accommodation Committee of the forthcoming tourney.

Since its inauguration in the early 1920s Katsina polo tournament which is home to one of the oldest polo prizes in Nigeria, the Nigerian Cup has grown in popularity with teams from Ghana and other African countries regularly jostling for honours.

Polo Royals can also confirm that four major prizes are traditionally up for grabs during the Katsina polo festival. The laurels are, The Nigerian Cup, Gen. Hassan Katsina Cup, The Talba Cup, and Commasie Cup.

A handful of subsidiary prizes are annually on offer for the winning teams.  These include the President’s Cup will be contested for. Others are the Governor’s Cup, Nagogo Memorial Cup, Maidabino Cup, Dikko Memorial Cup, the Beginners’’ Cup, and Veterans Cup among other individual awards.