Tag: POLO

Ahead of the much-anticipated Abuja Carnival Polo Festival, defending champions Jos Malcomines, Nigerian Army, Police and Rubicon top the list of teams jostling for laurels as the tournament blasts off at the foremost Guards Polo Ranch in the Federal Capital City.

Billed to gallop off with fanfare on 9th December and climax with pomp on 17th December, this is one of the most spectacular and massively visited African Polo and cultural tourism festivals will feature the two rivals in another exciting challenge that is guaranteed to go all the way to the wire.

Already, a record entry of teams from all the major polo centres across the country are jostling for top prizes at stake in the week-long festival that would remain the biggest tourism cum polo event in the years to come.

With over twenty teams participating in the grand carnival event, competition will be intense for the foremost President Cup which is the event’s biggest prize.

Other top trophies to be carted home by the winners include the FCT Minister’s Cup, the Legislative Shield, and the crowded Guards Brigade Trophy that pits over ten equally matched and ambitious teams in a battle royal to decide the winner of the low-goal prize.

Guards Polo Resort Captain, Muktar Adahama who promised that this year‘s event would get better as it has always been over the years, added:  “It’s going to be a week of thrilling polo experience for the lovers of the game. “Our commitment to this tournament remains strong and we are absolutely passionate about the tournament.”

“We are also using this carnival polo tournament to let more polo enthusiasts and the business community know that the Nigerian capital city has a facility like the Guard Polo Club that can comfortably host an international polo tournament of any magnitude.

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“Our pitch is in top shape and the location of the club remains a tourist delight.  Adahama declared. “Those who will be part of this historic event are guaranteed a most exciting and memorable time in Abuja,” he added.

The prestigious Carnival which is packaged as one of the biggest carnival polo events in the world was established in 2005 to showcase the rich culture and the creative spirit of the people and cultural diversity of the Nigerian people.

The Carnival Polo Tournament and the prestigious Unity Polo Festival, remain the two biggest sporting events that traditionally turn the serene Guards Polo Ground into the battlefield of high-end polo, with diplomats, international VIPs and celebrities from far and wide bathing in excitement.

Expected to grace the grand polo fiesta are a long list of royal fathers to be led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Emir of Katsina  state governors, members of the National Assembly, diplomats, and thousands of polo buffs.

The Abuja colourful carnival is similar to other carnivals in Nigeria such as the Calabar and the Port Harcourt carnival among others but remains unique in many ways with the inclusion of the game of kings, polo.

The foremost Guards Polo Club Resort Abuja, host of two glamorous annual polo tourneys, the Unity Polo Tournament and the Carnival fiesta which was inaugurated with fanfare on 9th September 1999 under the leadership of His Royal Highness, Alhaji Ahmed Muhammed Sani (CON) the Emir of Gumel, and Major General Alwali Jarji Kazir (retd) CFR.

With the confirmed participation of most of Nigeria’s polo patrons and top players across the country, the 2023 Carnival Polo Tournament promises to be a real treat both on and off the pitch.

Fresh from the exciting Kaduna International Polo Tournament that rounded off  the North Eastern and the North Western tours, the national polo season heads to the federal Capital City and Nasarawa State where two blockbuster tourneys are loading in Keffi and Abuja as the 2023 polo carnival reaches home stretch.

Our correspondent gathered that the back-to-back polo festivals will gallop off in Nasarawa State where four of the best playing polo patrons in the country, would be leading over twelve other teams in another titanic sporting confrontations as the prestigious Keffi Polo Ranch Tournament holds in grand style in the last weekend of November and through the first week of December.

Tournament Manager, Babaduna Kaloma, said the organizers are expecting a full house since regular teams from Abuja, Jos, Kaduna, Kano Bauchi and Yola, among others have all indicated their intentions to contest for honours during the week-long tournament.

Kaloma, who promised that the 2023 edition would be better as it has always been over the years, added: “It’s going to be a week of thrilling polo experience for the lovers of the game. Our commitment to this tournament remains strong and we are absolutely passionate about the tournament.”

Meanwhile after  the Keffi firestorm, attention will shift  to Asokoro in the nation’s capital for the 2023 edition of the foremost Abuja Carnival Polo Tournament from 9th December.

Tagged   the biggest Carnival polo in years, four of Nigeria’s best performing teams this year namely, Jos Malcomines, the Police IGP Strikers, the Nigerian Army and Haske & Williams teams are bracing for another epic battles  at the much-awaited Abuja Carnival Polo Tournament at the serene Guards Polo Club.

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Former champions, Malcomines, are the team to beat in the President Cup firestorm while the fortified Police and the Nigerian Army teams are set to rekindle age long rivalry in the FCT Ministers’ Cup contests.

Guards Polo Captain Muktar Adhama confirmed that everything is looking good ahead of what would be the most exciting polo tournament in the Federal Capital City.

He assured polo enthusiasts a grand celebration in Abuja, stating that beyond the sport of polo, the week-long international carnival would showcase and celebrate the tourism potentials and cultural heritage of the country.

Organized and hosted by Guards Polo Club in Asokoro, the annual tournament is guaranteed to be a sell-out with  battle-ready teams are now on ground to thrill polo enthusiasts in a bumper-to-bumper display of skills.

It should be noted that Carnival Polo Tournament that was inaugurated as part of the highlights of the foremost Abuja Carnival and the prestigious Unity Polo Festival, remain the two of the biggest tourism and sporting events that puts Abuja on the global tourism map.

Last year, the Abuja Carnival polo threw up a spectacular atmosphere, epic finals, sensational victories and heart breaks as one of Africa’s biggest polo fiestas that pitched over twenty teams, threw up four major winners.

Murtala Laushi’s Jos Malcomines emerged the overall champions, winning the President Cup and the Nigerian Army team that fired through with the FCT Minister’s Cup.

Honourable Minister of Sports Development Senator John Owan Enoh has  met with the leadership of the Nigeria Polo Federation (NPF).

In a bid to address various sports based on their prominence in various zones of the country.

He identified Polo as a sport which receives more attention, support and enthusiasm from the Northern part of the Nigeria.

Given the drive for grassroots’ sports development, social inclusion and the economic development trajectory of this administration’s focus in the sports sector of Nigeria, the roundtable conversation with the NPF was held on the 15th November.

He  said:” We need to go to the North to encourage and develop the game of polo, given that the  followership of polo is centered in that zone of the country.

“The ministry will be involved in all sports to the degree of its social inclusiveness,where majority of those involved cut across all stratification of society,regardless of class or political statu“.

He further stated that  the Ministry’s willingness to work with the NPF and immediately asked for an administrative secretary to be posted to the NPF,an effort that will give a seamless partnership for the actualisation of goals.

The minister challenged the president and Executive of the NPF to bring initiatives for the development of Polo sports in Nigeria.He called for a content document from the NPF team  which shows clearly how youth inclusiveness can be achieved,and Foreign investors brought in.

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“Due to the demand for more private sector  involvement,a National Polo playground can be achieved”.

The President of the Nigeria Polo Federation Nura Kangiwa ,Turakin Kebbi gave insight into the game in Nigeria. He mentioned that Nigeria is one of the largest Polo playing country’s in the world,with 27 clubs ,33 Polo fields and over 750 players ,albeit there are challenges the  game faces  in Nigeria.

“Polo is seen to be a game of the rich,but this is an assumption.Most of the players are sponsored” the president said.

Throwing light on some set backs faced by the Federation, the president of the NPF stated that “The Federation needs a National playing ground and fields for play,as most of those in existence are privately owned and associations owned besides Kaduna state owning one. 

“Nigeria can host international tournaments and even the Polo World Cup if we have a National playing ground “.

Nura Kangiwa further said the African Horse Sickness (AHS) keeps foreigners away from bringing their ponies into Nigeria to bask in the warmth of the sun for their nurturing as those ponies are threatened to death with the diseases,a means in which Senegal uses to attract  foreign players and their ponies. He appealed for the government to take measures towards the eradication of AHS and its likes as this reduces foreign investments in Nigeria.

Ahead of the much-anticipated Kebbi polo pilgrimage, defending champions NSK Farm and Jos Malcomines , top the list of teams jostling for laurels as the 8th Argungu Polo Tournament and Cultural Fete is set for the foremost NSK Polo Ranch and Resort in Argungu, Kebbi State.

Billed to gallop off with fanfare on September 7 and climax with pomp on September 9, the most spectacular and massively visited African Polo and cultural tourism festival in North-West Nigeria will feature the two rivals in another exciting challenge that is guaranteed to go all the way to the wire.

Other ambitious teams like three-time winner of the highly revered Sultan Cup, Abdulkarim Jibril JRB Power from Zaria as well as Ayutan team from Yola, Bilya Bawale and H. Hago are expected to contest for top honours.

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Chief host of Argungu Polo Tournament and Cultural Fete, Alhaji Nura Sani Kangiwa and the Director-General, National Institute of Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), confirmed that activities lined-up for this year’s event would be mind-blowing compared to previous editions.

He stated that not less than 30 polo players, some of whom are the best in Nigeria and over 150 polo horses would participate in the tournament for three days of polo unparalleled excitement and the best of Nigerian and West African cultural display in the pristine town of Argungu.

Kangiwa assured that this year’s tournament would be hosting more emissaries, international dignitaries and foreign governments’ officials in attendance, adding that cultural entertainment groups from West African countries have confirmed their participation and are currently making arrangements to showcase their best.

“We are pushing to increase spectator turnout this year, while creating more opportunities for home-based players. The level of team interest is inspiring and we look forward to watching the competition unfold in what promises to be the most exciting high-goal season ever,” he declared.

If the elaborate preparations which started earlier since February is anything to go by, the NationSport can conveniently disclose that the competition, excitement and pomp that is the hallmark of the noble game, will not be less as the sporting cum cultural carnival blast-off today.

Some of the traditional displays at the event would be culinary arts, traditional wrestling, camel racing, horse racing, mini-Durbar, folk songs and dance, bull fighting, and many other uncommon traditional spectacles.

The 2023 Organising Committee emphasised that the major objective is to sustainably improve the economic multiplier-effects of the event to Kebbi State residents and tourist host communities.

Argungu is nationally renowned as an agricultural produce export town with comparative advantage in rice farming, fishing and allied industries.

Kangiwa extolled the pioneering roles and fatherly support of the Emir of Argungu, Alhaji Samaila Mera, who is also the Grand Patron of the polo & Cultural tournament would be hosting more emissaries, international dignitaries and foreign governments’ officials.

It was gathered that the best performing Nigerian cultural troupes and their counterparts neighbouring West African countries have confirmed their participation and are currently finalizing rehearsals to showcase their best.

Some of the traditional displays at the event this year, would include culinary arts, traditional wrestling, camel racing, horse racing, mini-Durbar, folk songs and dance, bull fighting, and many other uncommon traditional spectacles.

Typically, in any week of the Argungu Polo Tournament and Cultural Fete, thousands of visitors and tourists’ throng into the town of Argungu and assemble at the NSK Polo ground, thereby creating massive socio-economic opportunities and measurable benefits to residents and businesses in Argungu Emirate.

In recent years, cultural entertainment groups and high-profile polo players have been enchanting crowds, residents, visitors and tourists with awe-inspiring polo displays and traditional performances that put the rich African cultural heritage on the map.