Access Bank/UNICEF Charity Shield Polo Gallops off May 24

Messi The biggest charity polo tournament in Africa, the Access Bank/UNICEF Charity Shield Polo is scheduled to begin on May 24 through May 31, 2015 at the Kangimi Resort in Kaduna.

This year, 15 teams are expected to compete for honours in three categories at the eight-day top flight polo extravaganza.

Four Argentines and two South Africans are among some of the professional foreign polo players expected to participate in the High Goal games.

A brand new Peugeot car is on the line for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament to take home.

Organisers of the event, Fifth Chukker, confirmed at a press L-R: Group Head, Strategic Brand Management, Access Bank Plc, Amaechi Okobi; United Nations Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF) Country Representative in Nigeria, Jean Gough; Executive Director, Personal Banking, Access Bank, Victor Etuokwu; Director, Business Development Fifth Chukker Polo Club, Terri Brennan; and Head, Corporate Communications, Access Bank, Olubusola Osilaja; at the press briefing on the Access Bank/UNICEF Charity Shield Polo Tournament in Lagos …yesterday briefing in Lagos yesterday that the event, which is in its eighth year of Access Bank sponsorship, is a reaffirmation of the importance of the lives of the orphaned and vulnerable children in northern Nigeria.

Fifth Chukker Polo’s Director of Business Development, Terri M. Brennan, confirmed that they are proud to continue in its development of this established partnership with Access Bank and UNICEF.

She listed the participating teams to include Deebee Farms, Akasma, Titans, Trappco Liberty, Fas Agro Sacks and, Meridian teams.

Other teams seeking to win a major prize at this year’s Access Bank UNICEF Charity Shield tournament are Susplan, Maigari Farms, Sublime, Sultana, Huawei , Max Air, Keffi Ponys, Lintex-Titans and title holders, Fifth Chukker Access Bank team.

Campaigns for the most prestigious prize, the Access bank Cup and the low-goal UNICEF Cup promises to be an exciting experience with Deebee Farms and Akasma clashing in a potentially explosive game of the tournament.

The Access Bank Cup and the Argentine Ambassador’s Cup final are scheduled for May 24, while the Charity Shield grand finale with the defending champions, Fifth Chukker Access Bank aiming for a fourth straight victory, is scheduled for May 31.

Executive Director, Personal Banking, Access Bank, Victor Etuokwu, said the bank had maintained its yearly donation of N10m in supporting UNICEF towards its projects for orphans and vulnerable children. In addition to that, the Bank is continually seeking avenues through whichmore resources can be pooled towards supporting the children

He said,“We have been working in Kaduna,in collaboration with UNICEF to elevate quality of lives. We need to do a lot more in support of these orphans and vulnerable children to enable them take tomorrow.

“Wearehopingtogetmorechildren needing support for instance, children orphaned by HIV/AIDS - especially the girl child into schools”says Jean Gough, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria. “We have no doubt created the space for a lot of them to enjoy their rights to education through this partnership, but we aim to seek more community participation to achieve greater results”.