Kaduna polo 2013 Tournament winners' Podium

EL-Amin patron, Mohammed Babangida lifts high the Argentine Ambassador’s Cup to celebrate a crowning moment for his team.

African Polo Kings, Kaduna EL-Amin Pose with the Georgian Cup after receiving the prize from Emir of Katsina and Life Chairman of the Nigerian Polo Federation (NPF), HRH, Alhaji Abdulmumuni Kabir Usman. EL-Amin becomes the first Nigerian high-goal polo team to win the Georgian Cup a record ten times.

EL-Amin Sets All-time Georgian Cup Record

Saturday November 16, 2013, served up a historic treat for African and Nigerian sports, as the attention of the world zoomed in on the port city of Calabar and the cosmopolitan city of Kaduna for a weekend of sporting history.

While Super Eagles secured a fifth World Cup finals ticket for Nigeria against the desperate Ethiopians in Calabar, up north, Nigeria’s all times polo champions, EL-Amin raised the bar once again, with their tenth Georgian Cup title in Kaduna.

The high profile Kaduna’2003 international polo tournament that attracted a record forty teams, lived up to its highly revered tradition of cutting edge competition, high-scoring matches, fantastic goals and an outpouring of emotion.

Expectedly, there was a healthy dose of excitement and drama, and the usual stirring images of beaming winners and inconsolable losers, as Kaduna rock with Mohammed Babangida and his EL-Amin setting an all time record that would be difficult to break in the rich history of Nigerian polo that spans over a century.

A memorable day opened with Abuja Trademark out pacing home Boys, Kaduna DeeBee Farms to win the overcrowded EL-Amin Cup, while Kaduna Makblow succumb to the fire power of  Katsina Kangiwa in the final of the NAHCO Cup.

 Kaduna Sublime crowned their maiden appearance at the prestigious Kaduna polo festival with a thumping victory against DeeBee Farms and deservedly won a fast-paced and high-scoring match final against Abuja Rubicon (2) to clinch the Emir of Katsina Cup.

The Georgian Cup final was another premium-quality affair in a worthy and pulsating setting. Babangida’s EL-Amin snuffed out Senator Hadi Sirika Rubicon’s dreams of defending the title and comfortably sealed a record tenth triumph of the Africa’s most wanted polo prize.

Roared on by their boisterous supporters and inspired by play-maker Santiago Senardas, EL-Amin imposed their class for an ultimately merited victory that was decided over two days of tense final.

After giving out a whopping four handicap goals to a highly charged Abuja Rubicon fortified with a crake Argentine professional, Juan Jose Brane ,  EL-Amin drilled out a commanding performance  scoring seven goals against Rubicon’s three, to bring the scores to 8-7 in the fourth chukka.

 The tense encounter that saw Rubicon’s lead vanished to a solitary goal, was brought to an abrupt end when Rubicon’s Idris Badamasi  fall off his pony fourteen second into the fifth chukka.

And after 14 absorbing minutes of the two chukkas that was left to play, it was the Kaduna based polo kings who were left celebrating. EL-Amin did not only cancel the one goal deficit, they fired home two un-replied goals to win 10-8.

The Nigerian Team of the Decade award winners, were again indebted to Bello Buba,  Ibrahim Mohammed Santi Sernadas and their patron, Mohammed Babangida who fought jointly to sealed El-Amin’s podium finish.

In a Georgian Cup campaign that would go down as the most fierce in the last six years, EL-Amin gave out a whopping eight goals and scored a total of 22 goals, 12 against Keffi Pony in the opening game and 10 against defending champions, Rubicon in the final.

With the Georgian crown secured, EL-Amin went on to add the Argentine Ambassador’s Cup and the Sardauna Cup in a Triple Crown command performance that left everyone in awe.

While Chief predator, Bello Buba became the first Nigerian player to win the 400 years Georgian title 14 times, Babangida who has won the Georgian title eleven times, harvested a bagful of honours. He won four glittering titles, the Emir of Katsina with Kaduna Sublime, Argentine Ambassador Cup, Sardauna Cup and the ultimate Georgian crown.

“I dedicate this victory to my dad who has been the inspiration of the pillar of the team since inception since 1985. We thank the Almighty Allah for his mercies and out teeming fans for their support,” declared Mohammed Babangida.

Chief Host and Grand patron of Yola Polo Club, His Royal Highness, The Lamido of Adamawa, Alhaji (Dr.) Muhammadu Barkindo Musdafa (M) pose with Yola Fombina players after the Prize Presentation ceremony. From left, Mohammed Baba, Caesar Polledo, Asharaf Yahaya and Aliyu Dahiru

Lamido, Argentine Pros Take Yola Polo to Next Level

The just concluded Yola International Polo Tournament which to a colourful climax recently in Yola, truly lived up to exciting tradition both on and off the lush green of the legendary Aliyu Musdafa Polo Ground, its traditional home for over 80 years.

Take the participation of Argentine professionals, a record team entries, the race for the Lamido Cup, and the superb performances by Abuja, Kaduna and Port Harcourt teams who carted home the major trophies, then you would see why the prestigious event was truly grand.

Last year, the Chief Host, His Royal Highness, The Lamido of Adamawa, Alhaji (Dr.) Muhammadu Barkindo Musdafa had pledged to transform the noble game of kings in his kingdom and upgrade the annual Yola polo tournament to a grade A event that would rivals its contemporaries in Lagos, Kaduna, Kano and Katsina.

This year he did just that, flying in two thorough breed Argentine professionals, Ceasar Polledo and Diego Ocampo both four goals players, to pivot Yola Yelwa and Yola Fombina in their campaign for the Governor’s Cup and the Lamido Cup respectively.

As the first set of foreigners to participate in the tournament since its inauguration in the early 1930s, their arrival did not only headline the prestigious event, it truly gives the grand festival its much touted international flavour and colour.

At the end of eight days of cutting edge competition and unparallel excitements, the high profile polo festival which came to a colourful climax in the ancient city of Yola, with Abuja Rubicon,  Kaduna Kawo, Octopus Clan from Port Harcourt and Kaduna Malali carting home the four main prizes.

Pivoted by top rated Jamilu Mohammed, the trio of Idris Badamasi, Malik Badamasi and Lado Aliyu who stood in for their patron, Senator Hadi Sirika, Rubicon their arch rivals, Yola Yelwa 7-5 in a hotly contested final win the event’s biggest prize, the Governor’s Cup.

Captain of MRS team, Bashir Dantata (Jnr.)lifting high the Emir of Kano Cup

Dantatas Highlight Kano 2013Interntional Polo Festival

New sensations, Bashir Dantata (Jnr.) and Usman Usman Dantata ended a fairytale Kano international polo tournament in scintillating fashion that stands out as one the major highlights of the prestigious polo festival, and underpin a special for the foremost Dantata family in the annals of Nigerian polo

The duo who are cousins from the famed polo crazy family from Kano, let the sparks fly in all direction, leading tournament favourites, Fifth Chukker from Kaduna all the way before winning their first ever Emir of Kano Cup title.

Playing together for the first time before their home crowd, the Dantatas alongside Lereux Hendricks and Tom Debruin reeled off two consecutive victories against Kano Titans and secure a back-to back win over former champions, Fifth Chukker, to emerge the overall champions of the MTN powered polo fiesta.

"It's been a dream come true," Bashir stated of his 2013 campaign which began in March when they shocked everyone including themselves, stealing the Majekodunmi Cup show from the “Big Boys”, before finishing in the third place.

The upcoming Dantatas, who are the fourth generation of players, maintain the rich family tradition with passion and left no one in doubt the special place of the noble game of kings in the family that has produced more business tycoon than any other in the country.

Their Lagos high-goal debut in the colours of the renaissance Anadariyya, the world class team built by the late iconic polo star, Usman Dantata, set the duo up for notice.

"The beginning of the year, our goal was just to get on the high-goal season. It was just to have an idea of what it takes to play Majekodunmi Cup, but the experience and the reception we got from the Lagos crowd, was quite encouraging.”

"The biggest stage is coming next year in Lagos so I'm excited for it," Usman said of their second attempt at the 2014 Majekodunmi Cup campaign. "We are going to keep our fitness and prepare well for what would be a real cracker,”

The 2013 Kano international polo tournament which ended with pomp at the Usman Dantata International Polo Ground left in its wake memorable legacies that would continue to buzz the polo world for a long time to come.

Two of such highlights that secure Kano a special place in the annals of Nigerian polo, include the history making Chairman of Kano Polo, Bashir  Sanusi Dantata who became the first father to play alongside his kids in the history of the tournament that dates back to the early 1920s.

Bashir, who has put close to forty years of tournament polo, competed for the glittering Dangote Cup title with his sons, Bashir Bashir, Abba Bashir and Sanusi Bashir in Kano Alhamdu team. Not much for the title at stake, but as a testimony that the noble game of kings truly run deep in the family.

The legendary Kano polo boss who alongside his cousin and Kano polo captain, Tajudeen Dantata, have worked hard to reposition the king of games in the ancient kingdom, also used that historic moment to drop a hint of his imminent retirement from tournament polo.

“By God’s grace I played in a team with my three kids, Bashir Junior +2, Sanusi +1,Ahmed -2 and myself +2, which is probably the first ever around and, it might be a prelude to my exit from active polo and also my last tournament ,” he hinted.

“But I wish to continue with my normal practice in order to keep fit.” He declared moments before he returned to the saddle leading Kano Dantek with two of his sons in chase of the Dantata Cup.

The highly revered Dantata Cup starring legends of the medium-goals polo attracted three arch rivals like Lagos RTC/Goodfellows, Dantek and Kano Earovote who threw everything at each other in a three games combat.

At the end of the nerve wrecking campaign, it was EaroVote team boosting Kabiru Dantata, Yerima Yusuf and the Crespo brothers of Juan and Andre from Argentina, who came out the winners, to claim their first their Dantata Cup title.

The other was the record setting MTN final that brought the curtain down on the international festival featured eight professional players from Argentina and South Africa in a classic five chukka encounter never seen in the country.

At the end of the historic match up, VTU Plus team boosting Lance Watson +5, Leverx Hendricks +5, Diego White +7 and Tomas Ussher +5, defeated MTN Super Server side parading Juan Crespo +5Andre Crespo +5, Tom Debruin +7 and Duncan Watson +5. 6-4 was the final score line.

VTU Plus carted home the MTN Cup that was decided at the dizzy height of 22 goals, another first in the history of Nigerian polo. It was a showpiece and a befitting climax to the historic polo festival.

Other winners of the MTN/Kano prestigious polo fiesta include the former Finance Commissioner of Lagos State; Olawale Edun who led Lagos Goodfellow team to win the glittering Dangote Cup that pitted ambitious teams from Lagos, Ibadan, Kaduna and Kano.

Edun who played alongside his son, Tobi, Khlifa Ibrahim and Tomas Urssher, sank the tall ambition of Kano Terra in the final to pick their first major polo title in Kano.

The low-goal MRS Cup that pitched over twelve teams was won by host, while Fifth Chukker left behind their Emir of Kano Cup loss, to beat Kano Titan to the coveted Muhammadu Sanusi Cup title.

EL-Amin players with their IBB Cup prizes in a group photograph with the Emir of Minna HRH Alhaji Bahago. (Below) Nigeria’s top rated Bello Buba, doing his stuns in one of the matches.

Kaduna EL-Amin Assumes IBB Cup Immortality

The world of polo descended upon the ancient city of Minna recently to watch reigning Nigerian polo team of the decade, EL-Amin pulled all the stops on their way to winning their 13th IBB Cup, creating an enduring legacy that would be difficult to match.

The Kaduna based El-Amin was the brightest star of the prestigious Minna event, retaining the event’s biggest prize, the glittering General Abdulsalami Cup and carting home personal awards in an action pack week that was hailed by everyone from royalties, business gurus, diplomats to polo enthusiasts.

Hosted by the Niger State Government, top prizes at the grand event pitching most of the biggest names in Nigerian polo and an impressive assemblage of teams from across the country, was lopsided shared , with Kaduna teams sweping major titles, leaving Bauchi, Katsina, Zaria, Port Harcourt, Jos, Abuja, and Minna teams to settle for the crumbs.

That EL-Amin outpaced all comers to keep their treasured IBB Cup title again this year is no news, because oppositions come in number on a yearly basis, but the baffling thing about their IBB Cup supremacy, seem to be : “The more they come ,the more they all fall.”

As in all high stake polo competitions in the country, the fight was always going to be a nerve wrecking battle, but the teeming Minna polo buffs were never in doubt as to the destination of their treasured IBB Cup, that pitted perpetual champions, EL-Amin and the ambitious Kaduna Kakuri team.

They were not disappointed as their heroes; EL-Amin defeated the hard fighting Kakuri 9-41/2 to win their thirteen title in sublime campaign that bore the hallmark of their attacking flare that has earned them many top polo laurels within and outside the country.

Parading their hit squad complete with Aminu Alhaji, Bello Buba, Ibrahim Mohammed and their patron, Mohammed Babangida, EL-Amin shoot down  the quartet of Ibrahim Abba, Ibrahim Babangida, Ali Hassan and Rabiu Mohammed in Kakuri colours to keep their treasured IBB Cup and added the General Abdulsalami Cup in a show of supremacy.

Their patron, Mohammad Babangida who doubles as the Tournament Chairman was truly at home scoring accounting for some crucial goals, as his champion side added the compact Kakuri side to massive heap of their vanquished challengers.

To cap an impressive double victory, El-Amin chief predator, Bello Buba was adjudged the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the prestigious Minna’2013 tournament. For archiving a milestone of 13th back-to-back IBB Cup victory, EL-Amin was honoured for their decade long consistency as the kings of high-goal polo in Nigeria.

“I feel great to realize how much joy one’s effort has brought to the lives of the teeming polo enthusiasts across the country and Zaria in particular. Their support and believe in me has been the driving force and I want to dedicate these victories to my teeming fans,” Babangida declared.

In what was the latest vogue of Minna’2013 polo, Kaduna EL-Amin (2) emerged from the wood work to shock bookmakers with a surprise General Hassan Cup victory in a typical running game that bore the trade mark of their fore bearers, EL-Amin (1).

 The junior side featuring Khalifa Adams, Abubakar Mohammed, Hussaini Mohammed and their captain, Bashir Mambo defeated seven other oppositions on their way to victory.

Port Octopus Clan finished second, dusting others like Jos Perodex, Zaria Kubanni, Kaduna Kawo, Katsina Gobarau and home side, Jamilla Ville Farm from Minna, in the race for the low-goal title.

The IBB Sports Complex, venue of the glamorous annual polo carnival, was always full to capacity on a daily basis, as the battles for the coveted Emir of Minna, the Governor’s and the General Hassan Katsina cups rages.

Three arch rivals showed up for the Emir’s prize and at the end, it was a sweet victory for Kaduna Mailanbu team that earned their first Emir of Minna Cup crown, having narrowly lost the royal title to Katsina Danmarina last year.

Playing with renewed vigor, the Mailanbu warriors parading same squad of last year, boosting their patron, Adamu Usman, Ibrahim Babangida, Lado Aliyu and Hayatou Abba out paced Katsina Liyafa Hotel and Bauchi Gubi to the title. Gubi finished runners-up after beating Liyafa 51/2 -3 in the semi.

The campaign for the medium-goal Governor’s Cup went straight to the wire as, two arch enemies from Kaduna let the spark flying in all direction in their never ending rivalry.

When the dust finally settled, Bello Buba pivoted Kaduna Makblow parading Isa Makarfi, Danjuma Abdullahi and Hissaini Ahmedu could rely on goal difference to claim victory.

Their quest to easy victory met a brick wall after being held to a 2-2 draw in the final by Kaduna Profile boosting the likes of Nasiru Yusuf, Aliyu Tijani, Kabiru Saidu and their hit-man, Ibrahim Mohammed.