Rubicon, Almat, Trappco dominate Port Harcourt 2018 Polo festival
The galleries at the foremost Port Harcourt Polo Club were jampacked with royalties led by His Majesty, King Diette Spiff and the representative of Lamido Adamawa HRH Dr. Muhammedu Barkindo Aliyu Musdafa, tycoons and other dignitaries who turned up in their numbers to witness the annual polo tournament which climaxed with fanfare last weekend.
The prestigious polo carnival that pitched top polo stars, left in its glowing trail many memorable highpoints that would linger for a long time. One such glittering highlights was upper ground partnership of Access Bank Plc and curtain drawing final game that decided the winners of the debuting Access Bank Cup.
After eight days of tense league games and close semi-finals and final games, the Garden City polo classic produced top finishers with teams from Abuja and Kaduna carting all the big prizes.
Abuja Rubicon Aviation team powered by the Aviation Minister, Senator Hadi Sirika won the event’s biggest prize, T.Y Danjuma Cup as they relegatedh Keffi Ponys and Lagos A-Plus to the runners-up and third place finish.
Debuting Abuja Almat with their patron, Maurice Ekpenyong flew the Abuja flag higher, shooting down three experienced oppositions; Port Harcourt Daewoo, Bobmanuel Construction and Lagos Agad, to clinch the event’s second major cup, the Governor’s Cup on first attempt.
Other big winners are Trappco Ranch team and Tilla Farms both from Kaduna that won the Lulu Briggs Cup and King Diette Spiff Cup respectively.
Best performing teams from Port Harcourt are Bobmanuel Construction and Strata Base. Alongside Lagos Ikoyi and Lagos Agad, they all finished runners-up in the four main cups categories.
The Access Bank Cup final, decided before a surging crowd that included top government officials business icons, traditional rulers and diplomats was undoubtedly the star match of the weeklong polo fiesta.
It was Swiss international team parading two South Africans and two Nigerians who made history as the first ever winners of the glittering Access Bank Cup polo prize in Port Harcourt, defeating their Old Mutual opponents 9-7 after an explosive five chukkas final confrontation.
The unparalleled commitment by Nigeria’s most innovative banking giant, Access Bank Plc in the promotion of polo across the country, received official thumps-up from the Rivers State Government and traditional rulers from the region.
Rivers State Governor and Grand patron of Port Harcourt Polo Club, Nyesom Wike and the first governor of old Rivers State, His Majesty, King Diette Spiff, both noted that the partnership of Access Bank with Port Harcourt polo Club had impacted positively on the tournament.
“Access Bank’s participation in Port Harcourt polo this year is quite commendable and I will continue to urge other corporate organizations to emulate the sterling qualities of Access Bank by joining hands to develop sports in the state and across the country,” King Diette said in his closing remarks.
President of Port Harcourt Polo Club, Captain Iyene and Tournament Manager/Acting Captain, Victor Fingesi, both hailed the polo carnival as one of the most successful in years.
They thanked the Lamido Adamawa for honouring their invitation, and all the sponsors and individuals for their supports.