Polo enthusiasts in Lagos and its environs will be treated to eight days of top-notch experience as the 2019 Jos Winter Polo tournament gallops off at the popular General Hassan Polo ground with over twenty teams vying for honours in major titles.
The glamorous festival holds from December 26 to January 2, 2020.
Three glittering major cups categories, Governor Cup, NASCO Cup and President Cup would have participating teams locked down in a weeklong battles royals to decide the proud champions of the winter polo festival.
The chieftain of the Nigerian Polo Federation (NPF) and Jos Polo Tournament Manager, Abdulganiyu Lawal, has assured tourists and polo enthusiasts that the club will host the best winter polo fiesta that will surpass previous editions in every respect in years.
The Tournament Manager, who is also the Chairman of NPF Disciplinary Committee, told Polo Royals there would be challenges in delivering 2019 as the most exciting tournament yet, but assured that with the full backing of the Plateau State Government and other stakeholders, the organizers will deliver.
“Whatever challenges there are, we will overcome because Plateau people are peace-loving polo enthusiasts who would participate in high numbers throughout the weeklong festival.”
“Jos 2019 polo festival will be a festival thriving on ‘strategy, organization, excitements, competition and friendship that would perpetuate the newfound peace in the state’” he stated.
“We make a solemn promise that we will give it our all and at the end of the day everyone would talk of the 2019 tourney, ‘This is our annual tournament in which we are well pleased’ Lawal declared.
Members of the various tournament committees, who are working toward the fiesta, are upbeat that the noble game that is all about promoting friendship, peaceful coexistence and unity among citizens of Plateau, would be a success, as the annual fiesta is positioned to encourage youth participation.
They appealed to enthusiasts to shun differences and embrace peace so as to support Governor Simon Lalong’s agenda of transformation of the state. Polo Royals also gathered that beyond the king of games, the week-long international fiesta would showcase the tourism potential and cultural heritage of Plateau State.
Barrister Lalong, who is the Grand Patron of Jos polo club and a passionate polo buff, is positioning the annual event revered as the only winter polo tourney in the country, to consolidate peace and highlights the tourism potential of the Tin City.
Jos Polo Captain, Sadiq Garba confirmed to Polo Royals teams from Abuja, Kaduna, Yola, Zaria, Minna, Argungu, Maiduguri, Katsina, Kano, Bauchi, Maiduguri and Keffi with enough low goal teams on hand for a thrilling contest.
“We have raised the bar and spectators will be thrilled with what they will see as some of the best polo players from across the country will be on parade.” “Apart from showcasing the Nigerian players, we also expecting tourists and polo enthusiasts from abroad to be part of the grand event,” he said.
Last year, home teams led Jos polo kings, Malcomines, Mineral Resource team and Jos Red Crown wrote their names in gold sweeping most of the major prizes at stake.
For the fourth year running, Laushi and his miners were the biggest attraction of the annual festival that remains the biggest sports cum tourism event, attracting tourists and equestrian enthusiasts in their droves to the chilly Plateau State capital city every year.
Polo Royals recalled that the defending champions defeated Yola BSC in a tense final, to keep the Governor’s Cup for the third times on the trot, confirming their supremacy as the kings of the winter polo festival.
Jos Jengere outgunned all comers, runners-up respectively the highly sort after NASCO Cup title race, while Jos Mineral resource team who were vying for their first major polo title at home, finished with a bang,
The low-goal cup that pitted top rivals Yola, Bauchi and Katsina, saw the Samy Nasreddin led Red Crown parading the trio of Salman Solo, Ahmed Illiyasu and pivot, Usman Idris outpacing their Yola Yelwa opponents in a hotly contested final, to clinch the glittering President Cup on first attempt.
The Red Crown victory was the icing on the cake for the celebrating Jos polo buffs and a crowning moment for the host club that has now broken the jinx of sweeping all the major titles at stake.
As the preparations frenzy hit new heights, visiting clubs, Zaria, Kaduna, Katsina, Bauchi, Kano, Abuja and Yola, are packaging strong squads to sweep all the major prizes in Jos this year.
Home teams that would be playing before their teeming supporters should be prepared to take as much as they give, as determined oppositions are poised for fierce galloping battles on all the titles on offer.
