Abuja agog for 2019 Carnival, 1212 Unity Polo tourneys
Fresh from the epoch Georgian Cup Centenary tournament in Kaduna, African Patrons polo at Fifth Chukker and high plains of Adamawa, the prestigious Nigerian polo tour with its thundering hooves heads to the nation’s city of Abuja, where two flagship polo grand slams have been lined up for November. Polo Royals gathered that the team this year would include the three high-goal teams, Kaduna Profile, Katsina Max Air and Abuja Keffi Ponys that competed for the high stake President Cup at the magnificent 1212 Polo & Turf Club in 2015. In 2015 the President Cup was aimed at celebrating past and present presidents and Heads of State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This year’s edition of the President Cup would aim at fostering national unity, and create awareness on condition of the Internationally Displaced Persons from the North East. The first of its kind in Nigeria’s capital, 1212 Polo & Turf was borne out of a desire to bring the beautiful game of Polo and the exhilaration of horse riding to thrill enthusiasts in the booming metropolis of the FCT. The event also aims to be the benchmark in Polo and Turf sports in the country. Conceived by club founders as a tribute of Abuja as a capital city on 12th December 1991, the club took its name from the founding date. They wanted 1212 Turf to be synonymous with Abuja’s foundations as the greatest capital city in Africa, and alongside it, as representing the strength, beauty and resourcefulness of the FCT. Recently, over six medium goal teams loaded with some of the high flying patrons and skilled players invaded the foremost hilltop resort in Abuja, jostling in another top-flight campaign for the event’s biggest prizes on offer. The teams include, Maurice Ekpenyong’s Almat Group team, Bashir Dantata’s Lintex, Bauchi State governor’s powered Bauchi MA, Yakubu Nakudu Farms polo from Kano and Sheyi Tinubu’s STL team from Lagos. Bracing for a huge flock of tourists as the countdown of the 2019 Abuja Carnival Polo Tournament dominate media headlines. The grand event that has continually drawn the biggest crowd to the nations’ capital city in recent years remains one of the major highlights of the prestigious Abuja Carnival. Organized and hosted by Guards Polo Club in Asokoro, the annual event is guaranteed to be a sell-out, as battle-ready teams are already on ground to thrill polo enthusiasts in a bumper-to-bumper display of skills. Polo Royals authoritatively gathered that for the first time in its flourishing history, the Abuja Carnival Polo Tournament’ 2019 will also witness the traditional Durbar display and would feature teams from all the major polo clubs across the country in a weeklong polo galour. Guards Polo Club Tournament
Committee officials who disclosed this exclusively to Polo Royals said the glamorous event will light up the Federal Capital Territory as one of the major highlights of the 2019 Abuja Carnival. According to Guards polo, participating teams would vie for honours in four major cups categories that include the LowGoal, the Intermediate, the medium-goal and the high-goal class. It was also gathered that many subsidiary prizes would be on offer for selected teams. “We are also using this carnival polo tournament to let 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,” they said at the ongoing African Patrons polo tournament in Kaduna. Polo Royals checks confirm that everything was on ground for a successful carnival tournament. Expected to grace the grand polo fiesta are royal fathers to be led by the Sultan of Sokoto, President Muhammadu Buhari, Senate President, Speaker House of Representatives, state governors, diplomats, and thousands of polo buffs.