The cosmopolitan city of Kaduna is in full bloom with polo patrons, veterans, contemporaries and beginners converge for a four-day memorial tournament in honour of late Nigerian Polo Ambassador Dawule Baba.
Organized and hosted by the Kaduna Polo Club, the first ever Dawule Baba Memorial Tournament is in honour of the iconic high-goal player who passed on recently in Egypt. Until his death, the Nigerian polo ambassador was a member of the Board of Trustee of the foremost club.
The tournament that got off the ground yesterday, ‘Democracy Day’, saw polo enthusiasts from far and wide paying emotional tributes to the late polo matador.
Billed to end on Sunday, 15th June , at the Murtala Mohammed Square’s famous polo grounds in Kaduna, the memorial tournament is featuring teams vying for honours in three broad categories.
Apart from the High-Goal, Medium Goal and Low-Goal categories, the event would also feature matches in the Beginners’ category and Veterans’ category that would accommodate polo patrons, particularly those who played alongside Dawule in his heyday as the master of the game.
The Tournament Committee of the Kaduna Polo Club, noted matter-of-factly that the four-day long event is to honour the legacies of Dawule Baba who was one of the most beloved members and benefactors.
His contribution, it was noted, led to the greatness of the club and development of the noble game in Kaduna, the country and the world at large. .
The event which features mostly Kaduna-based teams and players, is equally open to teams and players across the country as a mark of tribute to the late consummate polo aficionado.
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“In honour of a legend, the four-day polo fiesta is open to everyone, polo patrons, players, teams and polo enthusiasts who wish to join us in event of prayers, polo, and remembrance for Dawule Baba, The Teacher,” the statement added.
According to the organizers, the fiesta that would have the State Governor as the Special Guest of Honour on the final day, will be witnessed by a long list of dignitaries that include captain of industries, top politicians, traditional rulers, members of the Diplomatic Corp and visiting dignitaries from across the world.
The statement concludes that the highlights of the four days polo extravaganza would be the unveiling of the late Dawule Baba Polo Field on the final day of the fiesta on June15.
Recall that the Kaduna Polo Club had in a statement last month announced the passing on of the legendary Dawule Baba , a member Board of Trustees, an icon who has put Kaduna, Nigeria and indeed Africa on the polo map globally.
“It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of a true legend of the game —Alhaji Dawule Baba, a cherished member of our Polo community and a member of the Board of Trustees of Kaduna Polo Club — who passed away in Egypt,” the club stated. “His passion for polo, his sportsmanship, and his enduring legacy both on and off the field will be remembered with admiration and respect.”
It’s worthy to note that until his demise, Dawule was an iconic polo ambassador who has played and won many honours internationally in more than 15 countries across the world.
He coached the Nigerian national polo team to an historic outing to the polo world Cup fiesta, where Nigerian stood out as the only country to field all black players to the amazement of the global audience and viewers