Daily Trust Sunday

Fifth Chukker, Malcomines, others ready for Access Bank-UNICEF Charity polo

- By Ernest Ekpenyong

Over 12 highly motivated polo teams from across Nigeria are gearing up for the 2023 edition of Africa’s premium polo extravagan­za, Access BankUNICEF Charity Shield Polo tournament which gallops-off at the Fifth Chukker Lawns of Kangimi Resort in Kaduna from June 1 to 10.

Revered as one of the biggest charity polo platforms in the world, the UNICEF event will be decided in two stages, with 14 teams battling for the glittering Usman Dantata Cup and the events’ second most wanted prize, the Access bank Cup in the first stage. can exclusivel­y that the second and the grand finale stage which promise to be one of the most exciting high stake Charity shield confrontat­ions in years, will pitch six former champions and last year’s runners-up, Malcomines of Jos in a winner-takes-all chase for the tournament top prize, the Charity Shield.

Executive Director, Personal Banking, Access Bank Plc, Victor Etuokwu who confirmed the tournament dates, stated that title sponsor, and its partners, have taken their commitment to UNICEF Charity polo fundraisin­g platform to a new level, with the commission­ing of fully equipped sixty classroom blocks in Kaduna State.

He stated that the project that would berth a new education system in Kaduna, was a contributi­on by the bank alongside the partners, Fifth Chukker Polo & Country Club, and well-meaning individual­s to the sustenance of the charity platform that has for many years benefited communitie­s and powering rural women in Kaduna.

According to the sponsors, the Charity Shield initiative began in 2003 as a platform to support local charity organizati­ons in Kaduna.

Since 2006 this humanitari­an effort has been geared exclusivel­y towards UNICEF interventi­on projects for orphans and vulnerable children in Kaduna State.

In 2007, the Charity Shield received a major boost when Access Bank agreed to a multiyear sponsorshi­p deal, making the tournament one of the bestsuppor­ted events in the history of Nigerian sport.

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