EL-Amin gearing up for Kaduna International Polo tourney

With the African Patrons Cup behind it, defending champions, Mohammed Babangida’s El-Amin are getting ready for a defence of their title at the Kaduna International Polo tournament.

The event, which commences on November 14, is one of the two most prestigious polo tournaments in West Africa, the other being the Lagos International Polo Tournament.

All road leads to the cosmopolitan city of Kaduna, as this year’s Kaduna International Polo Tournament, starts this weekend with over 30 top teams and more than 400 thorough breeds horses ready to rumble in the sports of kings.

Reputed as the most exciting and premier polo event in the northern part of the country, the tournament, which was inaugurated way back in 1919, has prospect this year, as all the big names of Nigerian polo and teams from all major clubs are getting ready to storm Kaduna.

The tournament fiesta traditionally features the best of Nigerian polo players and their counterparts from Europe, America and the rest of Africa, in ten exciting days of top class polo action at the Murtala Muhammed Square.

Preparations for the fiesta received a boost last weekend, as First Bank Plc donated N7 million for this year’s event at a cheque presentation event. In all, the Kaduna Polo Club raised about N17 million for the hosting of the grand polo festival.

El-Amin will be looking to get the top prizes, which include Africa’s most revered polo cup, the 400 year-old Georgian Cup. Other major prizes to be won by the winning teams include the 80 years old Dic kenson Cup, NAHCO Cup and the debuting EL-Amin Cup donated by Babangida.

Babangida and his boys are sure to face a stiff challenge in the Gregorian Cup from Lagos Rubicon and Katsina Hajara Farms who are perfecting strategies to wrest the trophy from El-Amin.

Babangida’s EL-Amin, who are going for their third consecutive Georgian Cup encore, brandish intimidating Georgian credentials. Having played high-goal polo together for the past decade and have not lost in any tournament for two years.

The trio of Rambo Ibrahim, Mohammed Bello Buba and the long sh ooting Mohammed Babangida are very fit and would not fail to push for their fourth consecutive Georgian title before their home crowd.