The prestigious MTN ‘2012 International Polo Tournament came to flourishing climax last night, with host Lagos carting up the two more major prizes at stake, leaving visiting Ibadan, Kaduna and Kano to wait for better luck next year.
It was an exciting ten days of thrilling polo that clearly distinguished the MTN fiesta from others in term of pomp and pageantry and host Lagos wrapping up an impressive performance with a clean sweep that guaranteed them the dignified status as the overall champions of the MTN’2012 International Polo Tournament.
Two championship finals were decided Sunday, with Tavia Trojan and Linetrale Delaney clinching the Lagos Open Cup and the Majekodunmi cups respectively. To successfully defend the glittering they won last year, Tavia Trojan defeated debutants, YY Ibako in a tense five chukkas Open Cup final, while Linetrale Delaney made good use of their four handicap goals advantage, to defeated the hard fighting Fifth Chukker to win their second MTN sponsored Majekodunmi Cup title in two years.
Other subsidiary prizes won during the second and final weekend of the glamorous MTN polo fiesta include, the Independence Cup that went to Linetrale with the Fifth Chukker finishing runners-up in the race for the oldest polo title in Nigeria.
Kaduna Fifth Chukker who vied for three top honours could only managed the Italian Ambassador Cup after defeating Lagos Ironclad in the final. YY Ibako also went home with the consolatory Open Cup runners up title.
Kano Polo Captain, Tajudeen Dantata whose Titans fall to fly in the Open Cup race, was also a proud winner after leading the trio of Khalifa Ibrahim, Bode Makanjuola and Osama Debbs to win the newly introduced Heritage Cup which was played to commemorate a 108 years of polo in Lagos.
To ensure nothing gets out of the back door, Lagos Delcline & Fall had outpaced the running Kano Seamans Energy 6-5 in the final, to win the event’s fourth most wanted prize, the Lagos Dansa Cup and set the tune for Lagos domination.
That Dansa Cup victory against their Kano arch rivals was probably the impetus that fired the Lagos Low Cup as Lagos Ironclad came from behind to deny arch rivals, Ashbert Raiders the coveted Low Cup in a tense final decided before a crowded stands at the foremost Ribadu Road Polo ground in Ikoyi, Lagos.
The final games was watched by top dignitaries which include the richest man of Nigeria, Aliko Dangote, military chiefs, traditional rulers, chieftains of the MTN as well as thousands of polo enthusiasts who came from across the country to be part of the historic MTN polo fiesta.
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