Daily Independent Online.
*
Thursday, July 08, 2004.
Kano Polo: Babangida’s wedding causes shift in date
By Pius Anakali
Senior
Correspondent,
Lagos
It is no longer
news that the much talked about annual Kano Polo tournament originally billed
to have started on July 3rd, 2004, has been postponed. The news however is that
the postponement was as a result
of one of polo biggest
rider’s weeding.
Mohammed Babangida,
the son of the country’s former Military President and patron of famed
Kaduna based Polo team El-Amin wedding clashed with the date of the tournament
was billed to start. As a mark of support for one of their own, the organisers
of the annual championship shifted the date forward by a week. It would now
hold from July 10, at the same venue and would be rounded up Saturday17th,
2004.
Already, Kano is
agog in expectation of the coming event. No doubt it is going to be a do or die
affair as high flying polo teams from across the country will struggle for the highly prized Rave of
the moment Kaduna Fifth Chukka, winner and defending champion of Lagos
International Polo tournament held in February would be the team to beat.
With high flying Adamu Attah at
his best, Fifth Chukka would surely be difficult to deal with at the event.
There will also be
El-Amin, the winner of the just concluded Minna polo tournament. However regular teams from the north expected to field teams at the
event are Kano Yakassai, Kano Rima, Kano Titans, Kano Dala among others. They
are expected to feature in the low goals event.
Hired assasins from
South Korea, South Africa and Argentine are also expected to add flavour to the
championship while local stars also expected from around the country are Jamilu
Buba, Dapo Ojora, Suleiman Abubakar, Hamisu Buba, the high rider Adamu Attah of
Kaduna Fifth Chukka and Mohammed Babangida whose weeding forced the
postponement of the event last week.
Those to watch the game on the side-line are Emirs and Governors from
the North, while the Vice President Atiku Abubakar is also expected to grace
the occasion.
