Army, Profile others light-up Twelve Twelve Fallen Heroes Tourney

Three high goal teams loaded with top stars, Kaduna Profile, Katsina Max Air and Abuja Keffi Ponys competed for the high stake President Cup at the inaugural edition of the international charity polo tournament that heralded that commencement of business at the magnificent Twelve Twelve Polo & Turf Club.

After six closely fought games, the historic event that attracted the crème de la creme of the society thrilled from start to finish, with the three combatants earning three points each with a win and loss, and after some intricate mathematics by the organizers, Max Air was declared winners with half goal, the slimmest victory margin that could only be possible in the noble game of kings. Kaduna Profile who defeated Max Air 4-3 in a tense final game, finished second, while Keffi Pony that lost by 11/2 goals to Max Air on the opening game, were second runners-up.

The President Cup is a high-goal trophy that is among the annually competed cups at 12-12. The cup is aimed at celebrating the past and present presidents and Heads of State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The 2015 edition of the President Cup is also aimed to creating awareness on the condition of the Internationally Displaced Persons from the North East.

The race for the Commemoration Cup was no less fierce with six equally matched teams, Trademark, Dagonyaro Farms, Almat Group, Titans Heritage and Terra E& P teams jostling for the title that was played in tribute to the brave and courageous men and women of the Nigerian Arm Forces who paid the ultimate price of death in the ongoing war against insurgence in the North East.

Terra E&P and Dogonyaro Farm emerged to play in the final after two rounds of group matches. In what may well be an epoch for the Twelve Twelve, it was Nigeria’s most rated players, Bello Buba who pivoted Terra past Dogonyaro  Farms with a slim 51/2-5 margin.

The pick of the four days historic tournament was undoubtedly the Chief of Army Staff Cup that heralded the return of  Brigadier Saa’d Abubakar and the former Nigerian Polo Federation (NPF) Scribe and one time Golden Boy of Port Harcourt polo, Musa Yahaya to active polo.

The discerning crowd who took over the hillside of the famous Warinppa rock, venue of the grand event, could not wait to cheer the much missed duo who hit the turf running for the titanic clash that decide the winner of the COAS Cup, with the COAS himself watching keenly from the VVIP stands.

At the end it was Brigadier Saad who happily announced the return of the Army polo team to the national tour that struck the killer punch, scoring late to give Army 4-3 winner. Their chief supporter, General Burantai was all smiles as he steps out to decorate the winners and the runners-up.

The first of its kind in Nigeria’s capital, Twelve Twelve was borne out of a desire to bring the beautiful game of Polo and the exhilaration of horse riding to thrill equestrian enthusiasts in the booming metropolis of the FCT, and aims to be the benchmark in Polo and Turf sports in the country.

Conceived in the mind of the club founders as a tribute to the establishment of Abuja as a capital city on 12th December 1991, the club took its name from the founding date. They wanted Twelve Twelve (12/12) to be synonymous with Abuja’s foundations as the greatest capital city in Africa, and for the club to stand alongside it as representing the strength, beauty and resourcefulness of the FCT.