When the Lamido Adamawa, His Royal Highness, Alhaji
Muhammedu Barkindo Aliyu Musdafa opened and subsequently closed the 2012
edition of the prestigious MTN/Yola international polo festival last weekend, his
total commitment and active presence echoed an unmistakable message: Yola will remain
the permanent home for one of the continent's biggest corporate polo event.
For eight exciting days, the ever effervescent city
crowd mingled with an impressive international cast at the Lamido Aliyu Musdafa
Polo Ground venue to witness yet another scintillating display of top class
polo by the cream of Nigeria’s most enterprising polo players.
The MTN/Yola polo fiesta which is organized under
the auspice of the Nigerian Polo Federation (NPF) is the latest most
significant addition to the growing international polo calendar under the
sponsorship bouquet of the biggest communication network in Nigeria.
It is the most prestigious corporate polo
championship in Nigeria as well as the most exciting team events that included
Katsina, Bauchi, Minna, Zaria, Abuja, Kano and Lagos international fiestas.
Over twenty teams drawn from far flung cities like
Port Harcourt, Katsina, Abuja, Minna, Kaduna, Bauchi, Zaria and host Yola that
paraded four teams in the glamorous festival, participated in the MTN powered fiesta.
At the end of what will remain the most contested
Yola polo tournament in years, it was the Katsina contingent that dominated the
showdown, carting home three of the four major prizes at stake in Yola.
Urged on by a teeming crowd, that included Adamawa
State Deputy Governor, Barrister James Bala, Emirs from neighouring emirates,
delegations from Cameroun, Chad and Central African Republics, Katsina Max Air displayed
awesome skills edging the hard fighting Abuja Rubicon to clinch the event’s
biggest crown, the Governor’s Cup.
To clinch the coveted title, the quartet of Lawal
Mangal, Ado Madawaki, Muhammdu Seriki and their chief predator, Bello Buba defeated
their arch rivals and defending champions, Abuja Rubicon 5-4 in a tense final to
win their first Governor’s Cup title.
A well deserved victory that help extend their
invincibility in MTN powered polo tournaments this year, after winning in Zaria
and in front of their home crowd in Katsina last month.
Rubicon’s patron, Senator Hadi Sirika and the trio
of Malik Badamasi, Idris Badamasi and Jamilu Mohammed who were eyeing a
back-to- back victory in Yola had fancied their chances for the crown, but the
closely knitted Max Airliners chemistry was too hard to break.
That Max Air’s inspiring victory provided the needed
boost for other Katsina teams who ran riot winning throughout the international
festival, harvesting the highly revered Lamido Cup and the glittering Intels
Cup in commanding performance that will buzz the Nigerian polo fraternity for
along time.
The only
major prize that slips through the hands of the Katsina boys was the Admiral
Nyako Cup where Kaduna Malali out paced home lads, American University Hotel
team of Yola in a grudged final to cart home.
Tango Ayuba’s led Port Harcourt Daddo came close to
registering the upset in the crowded Intels Cup showdown, but the Ibrahim
Mohammed pivoted Katsina IT Sec would have none of it. Bello Buba was in his
best, leading Katsina Pers Oil to their first ever Lamido Cup victory.
One of the biggest highlights of the prestigious event
was the impressive outing of the MTN team who upstaged the highly rated Rest
team by the MTN polo squad, to win the debuting American University of Nigeria
Cup.
Parading Ahmadu Balaho, Ado Madawaki, Bello Buba and
Muhammdau Seriki, the MTN warriors showed very little respect to the ambitious
Rest Team, defeating them 31/2-1 in a hotly contested final game that preceded
the colourful closing ceremony of the memorable MTN/Yola’2012 high profile
fiesta.
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