The ever vibrant Nigerian National Polo Tour that galloped off with pomp and ceremony at the prestigious Niger Delta Polo festival in Port Harcourt last January has taken a deserved break till May, after months of bumper-to-bumper road trips.
Apart from allowing the Muslim community enough time to observe their religious Ramadan fasting period, the break period will afford polo clubs like Ibadan, Zaria and Fifth Chukker Polo & Country Resort in Kaduna, the needed time to perfect their preparations ahead of their 2023 tournaments and UNICEF Charity Shield respectively.
Reputed for its cutting edge competition, the national tour which took the cream of Nigerian polo stars through Kano, Bauchi, Yola, Kaduna, Abuja, Jos and Port Harcourt, before making a splash in February in Lagos-where the king of sports was first played way back in 1904.
The recently concluded 2023 for the Lagos International Polo Tournament where record 36 teams fortified with foreign professionals and the best of Nigerian stars jostle for honours, was the last event on the southern leg of the tour, before the tour heads for its savanna season.
The prestigious Eko ‘2023 polo tournament was an unforgettable event with crowning of a brand new champions in the high-goal and medium-goal categories of the glamorous king of games grand slam.
Spread over three weeks , the prestigious fiesta reputed as the biggest polo festival in Africa, saw Leighton Kings winning four big titles in a sensational swoop.
Leighton Kings, victory in the high stake Majekodunmi Cup, Lagos Open Cup, Independence Cup and Dapo Ojora memorial Cup respectively, was the electricity the home teams needed to go all the way, as Lagos Art Hotel and Trojan /ARK added the Oba of Lagos Cup and the Sani Dangote Memorial Cup, giving host Lagos total domination.
The final week of the international event that featured top foreign professionals and the best of Nigerian players was Lagos all the way as
Other best performing teams that left lasting impressions during the international festival include Lagos GDF Global double victory, winning the Low Cup and the Chief of Naval Cup respectively, Lagos Dania A+ , winners of Owen Cup, Tharwa team winners of the Cancer Bowl, Lintex Intercontra, and winners of the Italian Ambassador’s Cup.
While the tour lasted, the game of royalties and societal affluence did make some startling in-roads as one of the biggest corporate sports in the country, drawing new followers in their droves and adding a few new tournaments along the road.
One significant addition during the period was the inauguration of the Late Sani Dangote Memorial Cup and Cancer Bowl in Lagos, to deepen the global campaign against the dreaded Breast Cancer that accounted for the death of more than 500,000 women around the world annually.
Apart from the inauguration of the new Management Committee of the Nigerian Polo Federation (NPF) headed by Nura Kangiwa, the period also witnessed some interesting resurgence as Zaria and Sokoto polo clubs that have been lying fallow for some time, are sprang back to life.
Foremost Sokoto club that used to be one of the biggest polo centres in the country successfully organized and hosted its first mini polo tournament last year and we reliably gathered that plans are on high for another one during the Sallah Holiday this year.
On their part, Zaria Polo Club that has been making failed attempts at hosting their annual tournament over the last four years, have finally shocked off their lethargy and are planning big for 2023 Zaria international polo tournament days after the Sallah celebrations.