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L A G O S I N T E R N A T I O N A L P O L O T O U R N A M E N T , L A G O S , N I G E R I A , F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 7
A C T I O N
Marking 114 years since polo was
introduced to Nigeria by British naval
officers, teams from seven clubs across
the country came together for the Lagos
International Polo tournament.
For the annual event – hosted by the
Lagos Polo Club – the club’s president Ade
Laoye promised ‘top class action and
entertainment for all polo lovers’.
And they certainly delivered.
Teams participated from nearby Ibadan
Polo Club, along with teams from Kano Polo
Club in northern Nigeria and international
players from Argentina and South Africa.
Charles Seavill from Hurlingham Polo Club
was chief umpire. Each weekend of the
tournament included a low and high
handicap cup. The first week featured the
Silver Cup (-2 to +2) and the Open Cup (+8 to
+12). Both were hotly contested and thrilled
fans with a total of 10 teams participating in
two brackets.The winner of the Silver Cup
was Lagos STL as they triumphed over Ibadan
Jericho 7-6, while the Open was contested by
three teams and won by Lagos Leighton Kings
after beating Lagos Lintex 11-5.
The thrills of the second week featured
the Low Cup (+4 to +7 goals) and the
Majekodunmi Cup (+15 goals and above).
The Low Cup kicked off the week with a total
of 12 teams vying for top honours in the +4
to +7 Handicap category, with Kano-based
Agad emerging as champions. The
Majekodunmi Cup – which remains the top
prize of the Lagos Polo Club – rounded off the
thrilling week.This cup features teams with
at least a 15-goal handicap and continues to
attract top polo talent from all over the world,
reflecting the true international nature of
Lagos polo.The cup was donated in 1962 by
Dr Majekodunmi, who remains one of the
oldest living members of the club.This year,
Kaduna-based Fifth Chukker defeated
the Lagos-based Centaurs, winning 14-13
to retain the Majekodunmi Cup for the
second year running.
Segun Agbaje, managing director of
GTBank plc, which sponsored the tournament,
said, ‘Polo reflects passion, competitiveness
and fair play – values that make us a proudly
African financial institution.’
L A G O S I N T E R N A T I O N A L
Passion, competitiveness and quality polo were at the heart
of this year’s historic Nigerian tournament, says Ade Adedeji
Mohammed ‘Baba’ Dangote of
Lagos Balmoral International
hits a classic tail back-hand
