The 2014 African Patrons Polo tourney lived up to expectations

It was an amazing advertisement for the sport, with end to end action from both teams boasting of some of the best international players in the world. It was definitely one of the best sporting actions I have seen this year because up till the last seconds of the game the tide would have turned […]

It was an amazing advertisement for the sport, with end to end action from both teams boasting of some of the best international players in the world. It was definitely one of the best sporting actions I have seen this year because up till the last seconds of the game the tide would have turned against eventual winners Fifth Chukker who successfully defended the Patrons Cup won last year.
Displaying their trademark attacking polo, the quartet of Adamu Atta, Mohammed Babangida, Santiago Solari and Benjamin Araya, defeated Max Air 11-9 which also paraded highly gifted players in the mould of Dikko Mangal, Lawal Mangal, Gonzalo Bourdieu and Pepe Bourdieu  in the tense game decided at the Kangimi Resort in Kaduna.
Max Air, who were eyeing their first title in the prestigious MTN Patrons Cup Polo fiesta, responded with two quick goals in the second chukka after going down three nil in the first, to keep their hopes alive. But the defending champions dug deep and kept the airliners at bay to crown their effort. Atta, Babangida, Solari and Araya all scored for Fifth Chukker in the explosive encounter, but it was Araya who accounted for five of the goals in the final, bringing their total goals tally to 29.
After the trophy presentation, Fifth Chukker team captain and former President of Kaduna Polo, Mohammed Babangida expressed his delight at retaining the prestigious prize. “It was a fantastic campaign, but in the final game Max Air wasn’t an easy one. But we were too determined to just let it slip by and I want to thank my teammates for their concentration and our numerous fans for their unflinching support,” Babangida said.
The overall events starting from the opening day on October 16, to the closing ceremony on the 26th had been a huge success with sponsors MTN Nigeria proving it is serious about its newly formed partnership with the game of polo which saw the telecom company dole out millions of naira to Kano and Yola Polo clubs after the MTN 2014 international polo tournaments in the two ancient kingdoms.
Events of October 25 (a day before rounding off the tourney) were most profound with Argentine ambassador taking time out to grace the competition and Hajiya Fatima Yero (Kaduna State first lady) also honouring invitations to the events to support the Pink Polo breast cancer awareness campaign.
At the closing ceremony, Argentine seven goals scorer, Diego White, who pivoted the campaign of Keffi Ponies, was adjudged the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Patrons Cup series, a special award he shares with Bello Buba who was the MVP in the General Hassan Cup series.
Buba showed immense courage and love for polo by participating in the last four days of proceedings despite losing a close relative; it symbolizes how passionate the most highly ranked Nigerian in the sport values the game.
Dr. Ojo-Oba, who represented Vice President Namadi Sambo as the special guest of honour in the final, presented the prizes to the winners and the runners-up, while Argentine Ambassador to Nigeria, Gustavo Dzugala decorated the Best Playing Pony of the Patrons Cup final.
The foreign contingent which also included Benjamin Araya, Carlos Solari, Diego Solari and Fernando Burge (all tremendous players), is a testament to the fact that this tournament keeps stepping up gears since its inception. The sport’s lovers are hopeful next year’s edition would bebetter.