The ongoing MTN’2012 International Polo Tournament that has been the talk of the town throughout the country and beyond, has produced its first set of prizes, event as the prestigious event brace for its second and final weekend of excitement next week.
The first cup of the MTN powered event that was decided before a full house at the legendary Ribadu Polo ground in Ikoyi, Lagos, was the General Hassan Katsina Cup, which saw the quartet of Abba basher Dantata playing his first Lagos, Bashir Sani, Onwulli Edozie and Femi Oladele producing great teamwork to clinch the glittering prize.
Dantata and his team mates who were trailing by three goals with just chukkers to go, came from behind to the Koyin Owoeye led side booting Bola Adeyemi, Engr. Sani Umar and Shehi Rabiu, 5-3 in the tense final to emerge champions of the prize played in memory of the late Life President of Nigerian Polo Federation.
The second cup of the MTN event that truly lived up to its running billing, was the Governor’s Cup which saw Kano Manarat out gunning the only female team participating in the fiesta, Kaduna LNPH to clinch the crown played in honour of the Lagos State Governor, Raji Babatunde Fashola who is the patron of the highbrow polo club.
Decided before top dignitaries, diplomats and polo aficionados, the Fashola Cup was an explosive encounter was the most exciting yet in the series, as the Kano guys and their Kaduna ladies playing with two professionals go neck to neck till the end of the grudge final.
Two more major cups would be decided this weekend as the grand MTN international event enters its crucial and second weekend next Wednesday. The Lagos Dansa Cup that attracted over 12 teams would be decided on Sunday, alongside the Lagos Low Cup where two Lagos teams, Ashbert Raiders and Ironclad are poised for MTN polo war.
The second and final stage of the prestigious MTN powered polo fiesta which is revered as one of the only two polo grand slams in the country is expected to gallop of with two cracking games as Shoreline clash with Tavia/Trojan in the Lagos Open Cup opener.
The second game of the day would pit Audu Dantata’s Lagos Agad against arch rivals, Lagos HST in second Open cup game. All games are billed for foremost Ribadu Road Polo Ground in Ikoyi, Lagos, while the finals and prize presentation is slated for Sunday, March11, 2012 at the same venue.
Ten teams drawn from Kano, Kaduna and host Lagos would vie for honours in the high stake MTN international event where three highly revered prizes are at stake. These prizes include the event’s biggest prize; the MTN sponsored Majekodunmi Cup, the Lagos Open Cup as well as the Independence Cup reputed as one of the oldest polo cups in Africa.
The first part of the high profile MTN/Lagos International Polo Tournament is expected to end this weekend with the final of Governor Fashola Cup. The second weekend that draws the curtain on of the grand polo event is bill to gallop-off Thursday next week.
This weekend in a must attend for polo buffs as the big boys of Nigerian polo and their foreign professionals are poised to throw everything at one another in their quests for the MTN biggest prize, the Majekodunmi and the Lagos Open cups respectively.
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