Top shooting Nigerian Army polo, Nigerian Police and Abuja Rubicon teams all produced superb performances to finish tops at the just concluded Kaduna international polo tournament that came to a flourishing climax at the legendary Murtala Mohammed Square.
The Rubicon Aviation Boys defeat Malcomines, Bardako/Zaz, Jos Malcomines and Georgian Cup record holders, EL-Amin in a tense final game, to win the biggest prize at stake.
Murtala Laushi-powered miners enjoyed ovations after finishing runners up in the Sardauna Cup played in evergreen memory of the traditional ruler and promoter of the game of kings.
The resurgence Army team skippered by Col. Yusuf Bello as well as parading Gen. A.G. Laka, Murtala Aliyu and Abubakar Mohammed, defeated a crowded field of fifteen ambitious teams to clinch the EL-Amin Cup and produced the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in Bello.
Meanwhile, Chairman Nigerian Army Polo Association, Gen. MSA Aliyu who heads the Army technical crew during the international polo fiesta that featured over thirty teams, lauded the players for their fighting spirits, describing the feat as one of the biggest achievements in recent years.
The elated Aliyu also confirmed that preparations have been concluded to commission the Yusuf Buratai Polo Club in Jaji in Kaduna as a further confirmation of the Nigerian Army commitment to the promotion of the game of polo across the country and internationally.
Read Also: Nigerian Army set to unveil Buratai Polo Club
Kaduna 2021 tourney also threw up many memorable moments as the CSP Usman Michika-led Police team boasting the likes of Abdulrahaman Mohammed, Ibrahim Dantala and Lado Aliyu smashed through seven tough oppositions to win their first ever Imani Cup crown.
“This is one of our major polo achievements in recent months and we are determined to build on this victory and win at all the tournaments we would the participating in the future,” declared the chairman of the police team, CSP Haruna Shehu Shagari.
In a related development, Suleiman Sani Bello’s Sublime maintained their winning ways in a blistering campaign by retaining the event’s biggest prize, the Emir of Katsina Cup, for the second year running; while Senator Halilu Jiga powered Dokaji Farm polo team earned respectable runners-up finish on their debut.
Kaduna Polo Club President and Tournament Manager, Honourable Ibrahim Kontagora lauded sponsors, partners and participating teams for making the prestigious polo festival a huge success even as he promised a richer Kaduna international polo fiesta next year.
It should also be noted that one highlights of the international polo extravaganza, was the decoration of EL-Amin Patron, Mohammad Babangida along with his squad by First Bank Plc and Kaduna Polo Club for their milestone in the Georgian Cup over the last two decades.
The Emirs of Katsina, Kano, Keffi, Mai Baale from Yobe and Kaduna Polo President, Suleiman Abubakar led tops shots of the First Bank and other polo aficionados to give out prizes and awards to winners and players who distinguished themselves during polo festival.
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