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- Kada Games ’2009: Dantata’s Kano, Lagos Win Medals as Event Polo Debuts
Kada Games ’2009: Dantata’s Kano, Lagos Win Medals as Event Polo Debuts
- By Alex Ekpeyong
- Published March 24th, 2009
- SportWorld
- Unrated
THE recently concluded National Sports Festival that held the city of Kaduna by the tail for ten action packed days may have come and gone but its legacies are still raving the media.
One such unforgettable moments of the games, is the participation of the foremost Kaduna Polo Club that scored another first in its rich tradition with the organizing with the hosting the first ever polo tournament during the Kada Games’2009.
At the end of the historic fiesta that became the talk of the festival in the town, Tajudeen Dantata led Kano, Katsina, Lagos and Zamfara made history as the first set of states to win laurels in the first ever polo demonstrating event at the festival.
The golden boy of Kano polo is currently honing his polo skills in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where he is probably the only African member of the exclusive Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club, was the player of th4e moment at the festival s he led Kano flag bearers to victory in the king of games event.
Sponsored by the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of the 16th National Sport Festival, the grand event that galloped off in grand style on February 21, witnessed the groundbreaking debut of the king of sports in the annals of National Sports Festival.
The weeklong event that attracted sports enthusiasts and tourists in their thousands to the legendary Murtala Mohammed Square in Kaduna, featured over 100 top polo players competing for honours in the colours of eight states of the federation.
The participating states that battled for two prestigious prizes, the Governor’s Cup and the Kada Cup are, Kano, Katsina, Lagos, Rivers, Oyo, Niger, Nasarawa, Zamfara, host Kaduna and the Federal Capital Territory.
In the highly competitive finals, Kano state parading Tajudeen Dantata, Bashir Mangal, Bello Buba and Ali Birjawi defeated their Katsina State opponents, featuring Babangida Hassan, Dawule Baba, Mamudi Rabiu and Hussein Kabir to win the Governor’s Cup gold in the high-goal category.
Baba Kyari’s led Zamfara boosting the likes of Lawal Mangal, Saminu Rabiu and Mohammed Sarki had looked good for the KADA Cup, until the Lagos State quartet of Jamilu Umar, Muktar Adahama, Ahmadu Bakori and Sani Kura turned the table to clinch the gold in the low-goal category.
Some of the high profile players who showcased their skills during this special polo event include Speaker House of Representatives, Honourable Dimeji Bankole, Honourable Wadada, Honourable Ibrahim Ballah, Mohammed Babangida, Suleiman Abubakar, Abba M.T.Usman and Ali Hassan.
Others are Aminu Alhaji, Ibrahim Kankia, Bello Buba, Ibrahim Mohammed, Ibrahim Banagida, Prince Hussein Kabir, Ahmadu Bakori, Abdullahi Hashim, Ibrahim Abba,and Ibrahim Babangida, Abdulwahab Sani-Stores, Musa Kari, Idimu Mohammed among others.
According to the Life President of Kaduna Polo Club, Alhaji Hassan Hadejia, the decision to organized and host the event, during the festival was part of the Kaduna Polo Club’s contribution to the highly successful and colourful 16th National Sports festival hosted by the Kaduna State Government.
“This is in furtherance to our resolves to identify with the efforts of the Kaduna state government and in solidarity with our amicable Governor, Architect Namadi Sambo,” he added.
The closing ceremony attracted a discerning crowd that included the Life President of Nigerian Polo Association, and Emir of Katsina, His Royal Highness, Abdulmumuni Kabir Usman, Deputy Governor Kaduna State and Chairman Local Organizing LOC Committee, Patrick Yakowa, and Director General National Sports Commission (NSC), Patrick Ekeji.
Others include state governors, members of the National Assembly, captains of industries, diplomats and leaders of delegation from all the participating states who led thousands of supporters to cheer their teams to victory.
The elated NSC director who stood in for the Sports Minister, Engineer Ndanusa, disclosed that polo would be included as one of the sporting events to be competed for at the next National Sports festival billed for Rivers State in 2010.
“As I’m talking to you now, the Honourable Minister who has been in the forefront of harnessing all our sporting potentials, has given his approval to polo to be part of Rivers’2010 Sports Festival,” Ekeji added.
The long awaited debut of the ancient noble game was a product of active collaboration between the Sports Ministry and the Nigerian Polo Association (NPA) led by the Life President, His Royal Highness, the Emir of Katsina..
NPA Secretary General Mohammed Kyari who has been in the tick of the running for the game to be given its right of place during sports festivals, was scheduled to meet with the Minister in Abuja later this week to finalized things ahead of 2010.
Records confirmed that the British colonial masters imported the noble game of kings into the country in 1904,while the games’ ruling body, the Nigerian Polo Association (NPA) was founded in the early 1920s and has been functioning till date.
Since then, the equestrian game has witnessed tremendous growth, with polo being played in virtually every state of the country. By 1922, Katsina had become a major polo centre in the north, with the Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Usman Nagogo who succeeded his fasther Alhaji Dikko, and his brothers emerging the first set of handicapped Nigerian polo players.
NPA, which has its former Life President, General Hassan Usman Katsina as an executive member of the Federation of International Polo (FIP), is affiliated to the Hurlingham Polo Association in the United Kingdom. The Nigerian polo ruling authority has fourteen affiliate clubs, including the Nigerian Army and Police polo associations
Today, the high profile game of polo is played across the country, with Lagos, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Port Harcourt being the major ones.
The game is truly popular in cities like Ibadan, Abraka, Jos, Bauchi, Yola, Maiduguri, Zaria, Sokoto and lately Benin, with the establishment of the Okada Polo and Country Club, some year back.
Former NPA Chairman, Alhaji Umaru Shinkafi who was delighted that the news that polo would now be enjoyed at national sports festivals, said though polo found its initial abode in the palaces of the northern emirates and in the Army barracks, the game has over the years left an imprints in the hearts of Nigerians.
He paid glowing tributes to General Hassan Usman Katsina for flying the flag in the same noble way as his fore fathers. He singled out Col Abubakar Umar for reviving the game in Bauchi, Lt. Gen. Theophilous Danjuma for pioneering the founding of Port Harcourt Polo Club.
“Equally significant is the contribution of such families as the Da Rochas, Alakijas, Ojoras, Akinkugbes Saffiediense, Amusans, Ogunbanjos, and more recently Prince Albert Esiri and Francis Ogboro.,” he added.
One such unforgettable moments of the games, is the participation of the foremost Kaduna Polo Club that scored another first in its rich tradition with the organizing with the hosting the first ever polo tournament during the Kada Games’2009.
At the end of the historic fiesta that became the talk of the festival in the town, Tajudeen Dantata led Kano, Katsina, Lagos and Zamfara made history as the first set of states to win laurels in the first ever polo demonstrating event at the festival.
The golden boy of Kano polo is currently honing his polo skills in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where he is probably the only African member of the exclusive Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club, was the player of th4e moment at the festival s he led Kano flag bearers to victory in the king of games event.
Sponsored by the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of the 16th National Sport Festival, the grand event that galloped off in grand style on February 21, witnessed the groundbreaking debut of the king of sports in the annals of National Sports Festival.
The weeklong event that attracted sports enthusiasts and tourists in their thousands to the legendary Murtala Mohammed Square in Kaduna, featured over 100 top polo players competing for honours in the colours of eight states of the federation.
The participating states that battled for two prestigious prizes, the Governor’s Cup and the Kada Cup are, Kano, Katsina, Lagos, Rivers, Oyo, Niger, Nasarawa, Zamfara, host Kaduna and the Federal Capital Territory.
In the highly competitive finals, Kano state parading Tajudeen Dantata, Bashir Mangal, Bello Buba and Ali Birjawi defeated their Katsina State opponents, featuring Babangida Hassan, Dawule Baba, Mamudi Rabiu and Hussein Kabir to win the Governor’s Cup gold in the high-goal category.
Baba Kyari’s led Zamfara boosting the likes of Lawal Mangal, Saminu Rabiu and Mohammed Sarki had looked good for the KADA Cup, until the Lagos State quartet of Jamilu Umar, Muktar Adahama, Ahmadu Bakori and Sani Kura turned the table to clinch the gold in the low-goal category.
Some of the high profile players who showcased their skills during this special polo event include Speaker House of Representatives, Honourable Dimeji Bankole, Honourable Wadada, Honourable Ibrahim Ballah, Mohammed Babangida, Suleiman Abubakar, Abba M.T.Usman and Ali Hassan.
Others are Aminu Alhaji, Ibrahim Kankia, Bello Buba, Ibrahim Mohammed, Ibrahim Banagida, Prince Hussein Kabir, Ahmadu Bakori, Abdullahi Hashim, Ibrahim Abba,and Ibrahim Babangida, Abdulwahab Sani-Stores, Musa Kari, Idimu Mohammed among others.
According to the Life President of Kaduna Polo Club, Alhaji Hassan Hadejia, the decision to organized and host the event, during the festival was part of the Kaduna Polo Club’s contribution to the highly successful and colourful 16th National Sports festival hosted by the Kaduna State Government.
“This is in furtherance to our resolves to identify with the efforts of the Kaduna state government and in solidarity with our amicable Governor, Architect Namadi Sambo,” he added.
The closing ceremony attracted a discerning crowd that included the Life President of Nigerian Polo Association, and Emir of Katsina, His Royal Highness, Abdulmumuni Kabir Usman, Deputy Governor Kaduna State and Chairman Local Organizing LOC Committee, Patrick Yakowa, and Director General National Sports Commission (NSC), Patrick Ekeji.
Others include state governors, members of the National Assembly, captains of industries, diplomats and leaders of delegation from all the participating states who led thousands of supporters to cheer their teams to victory.
The elated NSC director who stood in for the Sports Minister, Engineer Ndanusa, disclosed that polo would be included as one of the sporting events to be competed for at the next National Sports festival billed for Rivers State in 2010.
“As I’m talking to you now, the Honourable Minister who has been in the forefront of harnessing all our sporting potentials, has given his approval to polo to be part of Rivers’2010 Sports Festival,” Ekeji added.
The long awaited debut of the ancient noble game was a product of active collaboration between the Sports Ministry and the Nigerian Polo Association (NPA) led by the Life President, His Royal Highness, the Emir of Katsina..
NPA Secretary General Mohammed Kyari who has been in the tick of the running for the game to be given its right of place during sports festivals, was scheduled to meet with the Minister in Abuja later this week to finalized things ahead of 2010.
Records confirmed that the British colonial masters imported the noble game of kings into the country in 1904,while the games’ ruling body, the Nigerian Polo Association (NPA) was founded in the early 1920s and has been functioning till date.
Since then, the equestrian game has witnessed tremendous growth, with polo being played in virtually every state of the country. By 1922, Katsina had become a major polo centre in the north, with the Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Usman Nagogo who succeeded his fasther Alhaji Dikko, and his brothers emerging the first set of handicapped Nigerian polo players.
NPA, which has its former Life President, General Hassan Usman Katsina as an executive member of the Federation of International Polo (FIP), is affiliated to the Hurlingham Polo Association in the United Kingdom. The Nigerian polo ruling authority has fourteen affiliate clubs, including the Nigerian Army and Police polo associations
Today, the high profile game of polo is played across the country, with Lagos, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Port Harcourt being the major ones.
The game is truly popular in cities like Ibadan, Abraka, Jos, Bauchi, Yola, Maiduguri, Zaria, Sokoto and lately Benin, with the establishment of the Okada Polo and Country Club, some year back.
Former NPA Chairman, Alhaji Umaru Shinkafi who was delighted that the news that polo would now be enjoyed at national sports festivals, said though polo found its initial abode in the palaces of the northern emirates and in the Army barracks, the game has over the years left an imprints in the hearts of Nigerians.
He paid glowing tributes to General Hassan Usman Katsina for flying the flag in the same noble way as his fore fathers. He singled out Col Abubakar Umar for reviving the game in Bauchi, Lt. Gen. Theophilous Danjuma for pioneering the founding of Port Harcourt Polo Club.
“Equally significant is the contribution of such families as the Da Rochas, Alakijas, Ojoras, Akinkugbes Saffiediense, Amusans, Ogunbanjos, and more recently Prince Albert Esiri and Francis Ogboro.,” he added.
