The polo festival was historic for obvious reasons since it was the second tournament staged in the ancient Borno Kingdom in over thirty years due to insurgency.
The last polo extravaganza held here was in April 2019 when the Development and Peace Polo Tournament coincided with the celebration of the UN’s International Day of Sport for Development and Peace..
Witnessed by thousands of local polo enthusiasts from far flung places like Niger, Cameroun, Chad and Sudan, the Professor Zulum Revitalization Polo Tournament was a reaffirmation that the noble game has the resilience and popularity to spearhead the much needed return of peace in the region.
Hosted by Maiduguri Polo Club and staged at its traditional Polo Ground venue, the glamorous fiesta pitched six teams for the Shehu of Borno Cup and Governors’ Cup.
The Shehu Cup final that preceded the grand finale had Gadget Crib against Today’s Stores in a fiercely fought rumble, while City Stars took on El-Kanemi.
Yet the take home of the Professor Zulum Revitalization Polo Tournament was the return of recreational sports showcased by the noble game as a powerful tool to promote peace.
Before now, efforts to restore the past glories of Maiduguri have come from Dawule Baba, the immediate past Secretary of the Nigerian Polo Federation, Baba Kyari and lately Mohammed Karlgo whose El-Kanemi team based in Kano, has been flying the flag at national tours.
Secretary of Yola Polo Club, Usman Saad Mohammed was thrilled that the game of kings has defeated all odds in Maiduguri, saying the presence of the enthusiastic crowd has shown the state government has a formidable force to redirect the youths to good endeavours.
“It was a mega carnival never seen in Maiduguri in decades and polo was at the centre of it all,” Saad said.”Let me on behalf of the polo family in the country congratulate the organizers, Governor Zulum and the players both winners and runners-up for their sportsmanship.”
Other polo aficionados from Abuja, Kaduna and Zaria urged the State Government to sustain the peace and Revitalization Polo Tournament by refurbishing the legendary polo ground including fencing the field, rebuilding the club house and stables for ponies.
The Maiduguri Polo Club was established in 1913 by the British colonial masters, with a vision to nurture the physical, mental and emotional growth of young people through polo sport.
That inauguration offered the opportunity to improve the advancement of solidarity, social cohesion and peaceful coexistence that is still facing challenges in the face of insurgency, much the chagrin of its founding fathers and all peace loving individuals across the country and beyond.
Polo’s intrinsic values such as teamwork, fairness, discipline, respect for the opponent and rules of the game are understood all over the world. The Nationsports on Friday believes that this can be harnessed in the advancement of peace building, solidarity, social integration and economic development of the region.
