Ramadan, Easter festivities put National Polo Tour on hold

Ramadan fasting and Easter festivities have paused the prestigious Nigerian Polo Tour which took off early January in Port-Harcourt with the Niger Delta Polo festival before hitting Lagos in February for the just concluded Lagos international polo tournament. This break from the national tour that would last for two months became necessary to allow patrons, […]

Ramadan fasting and Easter festivities have paused the prestigious Nigerian Polo Tour which took off early January in Port-Harcourt with the Niger Delta Polo festival before hitting Lagos in February for the just concluded Lagos international polo tournament.

This break from the national tour that would last for two months became necessary to allow patrons, players and the teeming polo enthusiasts to observe the religious rites of the holy month of Ramadan for Muslims and Easter holidays for Christians.

 

On resumption, the glamorous tour will head straight to the ancient Oyo Kingdom for the 120th anniversary of polo and the 2026 Ibadan International Polo Tournament in May.

The tour would move up north, where Zaria, Minna polo clubs and Fifth Chukker Polo & Country Resort are bracing to host their respective tournaments.

The decision to restart the season in Ibadan was confirmed in Lagos by the games’ ruling authority, after its general meeting and handicap assessment where some players who distinguished themselves during the Lagos tournament had their handicaps raised, while others were moved one step lower.

President of Ibadan Polo Club, Bola Adeyemi who received the tournament flag at a brief ceremony in Lagos, confirmed that Ibadan would host the first tournament after the religious holidays, assuring all stakeholders and polo enthusiasts of an exciting and memorable time in Ibadan in two months’ time.

“Yes, the national body has just given us the nod to host our 2026 tournament in May and we are super excited as preparations will start almost immediately for what promises to be one of the best anniversary tournaments in the 120 years old history of the game of Kings in Ibadan,” Adeyemi declared.

In Ibadan, teams would tussle for the highly revered Ibadan Cup which is one of the oldest polo prizes in Nigeria dating back to the 1930s.

Other major prizes include the Rotimi Cup, Ade Alakija Cup played in memory of the former Ibadan Polo Captain, and the GOC Cup as well as other subsidiary prizes and awards

Subsidiary prizes to be carted home by the winners include the Professor Jide Owoeye Cup, HST Cup, Shoreline Cup and the Governor’s, as well awards for individual players who distinguished themselves during the week-long polo festival.