The quest to give Nigerian polo a fresh breadth, is
fast becoming a reality as
a ten-man delegation of Nigerian youngsters are
expected to jet out tomorrow to South Africa for a
month-long training programme.
The team comprising Mallam Ahmed Dasuki, as the Leader of Delegation, has seven participants who are beginners and two officials, Mohammed Kyari, Secretary Fifth Chukker Resort, Kaduna and Jibo Garba.
The participants who would also take of their South African counterparts in two international matches, are Bashir Bashir (JR.), Toby Edun, Khalid Dasuki, Fah’d Dasuki, Amir Baba Kusa, Hassan Abbati Ramahan and
Altaf Abubakar.
Packaged by Oho Sports Limited, the programme would take the boys to Johannesbourg, Durban where they would meet with top officials of South African Polo Association and visit places of interest like Nelson
Mandela home in Lesedi Village in Soweto.
Mallam Dasuki who confirmed the trip to Sunpolo on
phone ,stated that the tour is part of an on-going
effort to give the upcoming polo players the right
foot hold in the noble game and shore up the
popularity of Nigerian polo internationally.
" It is our believe that the best we can bequeath this
game, is to bring up the young ones in the right way
and keep them at breast polowise with what is going on
internationally," he pointed out.
According to the intinary of the team, the delegation
would arrived Johannesburg on Tuesday where they
would go through a two-day polo lesion at the East
Rand Polo Club, with the Evans Brothers (David, Steve
and Garreth), one of the foremost polo playing family
in South Africa.
Fresh from East Rand club, the delegation would fly to
Durban where they would be received by the Chairman of
Natal Polo Team, Wily MacGibbon and Bridget Macduff,
the Marketing Secretary of South Africa Polo
Association.
The team would play their first practise match on
Saturday, before taking on the South Africa School
team in a Curtain Raiser that precedes the 20 goals
South Africa Versus Chile international friendly.
Sunpolo also gathered that the Nigerian youngsters
would spend the better part of the tour receiving
polo lesions from the former South African Polo team
captain, Selby Williamson at his Jurassic Park Polo
Club, in Swartberg, Durban.
Williamson who has played polo at the highest level in
countries like Argentina, England, Australia, New
Zealand, Malaysia, India and Chile among others, first
played for South African national polo team in 1996.
He pivoted the Fifth Chukker team that won the
Georgian Cup last year in Kaduna, and coached the
South African team that won the Vmobile African
Masters for a record third time last year.
The South African captain would have the boys for four
days, showing them the techniques of stick & balling,
positional play, anticipation, shot play and playing
chukkas.
Facilities at the park include three a practise
pitches, a stable for 120 ponies, with 70 playing
ponies
Before leaving Jurassic Park, the Nigerians would take
part in a mini tournament , after which the team would
fly back to Johannesburg for their second
international friendly against the South African
Juniors at Inanda Polo Club in Sandton City.
It was also confirmed that delegation would return to
Nigeria in the last week of August, while another
squad is likely to leave for Accra, Ghana some day
after for the second leg of the Nigeria/Ghana
international friendly.
In their first meeting last year, a team comprising
Fah’d Dasuki, Bashir Bashir, Akinkunle Akinkugbe and
Amir Kusa shocked their hosts in their backyard.
By Ernest Ekpenyong
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