9th Abuja Unity Polo Tournament Gallop off May 8

9th Abuja Unity Polo Tournament Gallops Off May 8 ....12 teams to vie for 3 Trophies By Taofeek Lawal, Abuja All is now set for the 9th in the series of the Abuja Unity Polo Tournament to celebrate unity, peace and love in Nigeria by the Guards Polo Club Abuja BSN Sports reports. The tournament manager, Ben India Garba, said the Polo Club being the most prestigious in Abuja is conceptualized to celebrate peace, unity and love in Nigeria through polo. He said plans are on to make sure that this year’s edition surpasses the previous tournaments in terms of quality, infrastructural drive and players that will feature in the event which will hold from May 8 to May 13 at the polo ground. Speaking with www.bsnsports.com.ng on the expectations and the number of teams that will grace the competition, Garba said the players and people will see massive infrastructural drive, landscaping and a new clubhouse. He added that being a high-profile sport, the tournament will attract members of the diplomatic corps, traditional rulers, governors, ministers and others. “A lot has been put into this edition as we expect a good number of foreign players and one of best polo players in Nigeria Bello Buba +4 and other top players to feature in the tournament. We are expecting 12 teams to participate and vie for three cups; the President Cup, the Legislative Shield and the Guards Challenge in the medium, the intermediate and the high goal competition with four teams each cup category. Only the best will be allowed to compete as draws will be conducted although we expect new teams to compete. Guards Polo Club is one of the best in the country and we have mentored, developed and trained young players who represented us in Malaysia in 2010 and one of the best strikers in Nigeria is in this club. We have won the Georgian Cup and other major titles in Kano, Kaduna, Lagos and Port Harcourt,” Garba said. Aliyu Umar, a ground member, said the club over the years has created prestigious cups which have been vied for by very competitive polo teams. He stated that with the pitch at the club, the players will surely have a nice game on the turf which will bring the best in them and promote competitiveness. Awwal Ibrahim, the 2nd vice chairman of the club, said although the club has never had any security issue, adequate security measures have been put in place to reach out to all the necessary security agencies despite the place being a total military environment. “We have taken the issue of security as a matter of necessity to liaise with the army who are our host and other relevant security agencies like the Police, the Civil Defence, the Road Safety and the VIO. The last two will provide the necessary traffic control because we envisage heavy influx of people from Abuja and its environs,” he said