Kaduna Centenary Polo Tournament EL-Amin Reaffirms Supremacy, Wins 15th Georgian Title

El-Amin Polo Team took off to a brilliant start at the just concluded centenary polo extravaganza, trouncing opponents, Imani 12-7 in the opening match of the Georgian Cup to stamp their authority at the prestigious Kaduna Centenary polo tournament that rocked to a befitting climax.   

To Georgian and Kaduna polo buffs, dismissing Imani from the race was no big achievement for the fourteen times champions who are used to decimating opponents at will, the real deal however, was the much awaited clash against 2017 winners, Rubicon Aviation.

That much anticipated clash perfectly laid, after Rubicon hurriedly dispatched Imani 12-4, to set up “the mother of all Georgian Cup final against their perpetual nemesis, EL-Amin who has only lost once to their Abuja arch rivals in fourteen Georgian Cup meetings.

Sponsored exclusively by  the then British Bank  of West Africa, now First bank Plc for 99 years, Georgian title remains one of the biggest dream win for any polo patron and player., and the  final had an added allure as the winners would be crown the Kaduna Centenary polo champions.

Expectedly with polo buffs arriving from every direction from across the country and abroad, the legendary Murtala polo ground was jam-packed hours to the final with first class emirs, governors, diplomats and a surging crowd of polo enthusiasts, ahead of the grudge finale.

The final game that produced one of the biggest surprises of the epoch event was against pundits’ predictions that have heap all the odds in favour of Rubicon who triumphs at every tournament, since winning the Georgian two year ago.

But Mohammad Babangida and the trio of Bello Buba, Santiago Cernadas and Saria Pedro are no strangers to high stake polo warfare, a factor Rubicon quartet  of Senator Hadi Sirika, Malik Badamasi, Manuel Crespo and Julio Estrada perhaps never reckon with , and paid dearly for it.

Much to the dismay of many fans, EL-Amin dug deep and produced a shocking 11-8 win, to reclaim Africa’s biggest and world oldest polo title they abdicated a year ago, to prepare for the make or mar Centenary grand slam.

Babangida who dedicated the victory over highly rated Rubicon team, to EL-Amin supporters across the world, thank his players for their concentration and commitment during the campaign.

“It’s a 100 years for Kaduna Polo we are happy we participated in the centenary tournament, we are also happy we won back the Georgian Cup for the 15th time which is the longest winning run by any team in the history of the Georgian Cup series” he added in an exclusive chat with Globalpolo.

Truly the biggest polo event in Kaduna yet, the Centenary epoch festival was far more than balls and horses as host Kaduna Club showcased many off the pitch events that befittingly light up the celebration and make the fiesta such a memorable carnival.

An all night musical concert with Run Town leading a star cast performance preceded the closing and prize giving ceremony of the grand Centenary polo festival that came to a memorable climax, after thrilling for ten days in the political headquarter of northern Nigeria.