If media frenzy is anything to go by, the 2023 Ibadan Polo Tournament promises to be the most competitive in years as the Nigerian Army and Nigerian Navy teams lead others to the ancient city of Ibadan to jostle for honours in this year’s Ibadan Polo Tournament.
Regarded as the landlords of the Ibadan Polo Club, the Army team would be making a return to the festival after a long layoff while the naval team would be making their debut at the prestigious fiesta that dates back since the 1930s.
The prestigious polo carnival that prides itself as the biggest sporting cum tourism event in the Oyo State’s capital, is billed to gallops-off in grand style from Monday, May 15 at its traditional venue, the Eleyele Polo Ground , through May 21 when winners will be decorated in a colourful closing ceremony.
The Ibadan Polo Captain, Edozie Onwuli , who disclosed that other participating teams are expected from major polo centres l including Kano, Kaduna, Minna, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Lagos that is expected to dispatch a record seven teams to vie for all the major prizes at stake.
Edozie further confirmed that host Ibadan would contest for all the major titles in the week-long festival that would attract enthusiasts in their droves to the Oyo State capital city annually.
“Gone are the days when Kano and Lagos were dominating our tournament and winning most of the prizes but all that has changed since last year when we won the event’s biggest prize,” he declared.
Major prizes that would be contested for by the over twenty visiting teams during the ten-day fiesta include the Ibadan Cup presented in the early 1930s by Colonel R. Petit of the 9th Lancer of the then British colonial masters.
Edozie listed other cups to be contested for as the Rotimi Cup, Ade Alakija Cup played in memory of the former Ibadan Polo Captain, and The GOC Cup as well as a handful selected prizes and awards.
It was also gathered that these subsidiary prizes to be carted home by the winners include the Professor Jide Owoeye Cup, HST Cup and Shoreline Cup, among others.
Ibadan Polo Club President Koyinsola Owoeye has promised added values at this year’s Ibadan international polo tournament, assuring that all the facilities required for an exciting 10-day tournament fiesta are in top shape at the foremost Eleyele Polo ground .
The President assured that the club is working tirelessly to dominate all aspects of the tournament in order to provide a most rewarding experience for teams, players, sponsors and guests.
“We are pushing for the optimal every which way because we intend to restore Kano polo’s preeminent pedigree,” declares Koyinsola.
Last year, the ancient city celebrated one of its grandest moments as the prestigious 2022 polo tournament came to colourful climax with home crowd favourites, Lead City University team of Ibadan, emerging the overall champions.
The Ibadan Polo kings parading Polo President, Koyin Owoeye, Asharaf Yahaya, Ahmadu Umar and Argentine professional, Diego White showcase a typical all-round polo play easily easing through to the final and calmly discarded tough challenge from Lagos Ikoyi to earn event’s biggest prize, the Ibadan Cup.
The Lagosians who had stormed the Eleyele Polo ground venue fortified with Funsho George, Ibrahim Dantata, Kwame Isa and Abdurrahman Mohammed had looked upset the tournament favourites, but their slow start and suspect horsepower was their biggest undoing in the decisive finale.