The 2022 edition of the Ibadan Annual Polo Tournament is set to hold between 16th and 22nd May in the sprawling city of ancient Oyo Kingdom.
The organizers of the prestigious Ibadan annual polo tournament have promised that the 2022 edition of the glamorous fiesta will make the western region capital city come alive, as the best players in the game within and outside the country have promised to grace the competition.
The tournament is well known for its exciting atmosphere and relaxed setting.
Traditional venue of the grand fiesta remains the foremost Eleyele polo ground which is tucked away in the middle of the city and is undergoing massive restoration, with its own natural and inviting appeal that offers world-class sports venues in a casually elegant environment to play and observe the dramatic and artistic game of kings.
Ibadan Polo Club President, Koyinsola Owoeye, dropped this hint in an exclusive chat with the NationSports , stating that arrangements are in top gear to ensure that a grand event will remain an epoch that will linger for long in the memories of all participants, invited guests and enthusiasts of the noble game.
“The Ibadan polo tournament has over the years set a unique example as one of the most exciting polo events in the country and we have put together a package that would make the tournament the most exciting ever,” Vice President and Captain Bola Adeyemi who doubles as the tournament’s director , declared.
“We are ready for our tournament with the right frame of mind, having picked up a few tricks from other tournaments we participated in so far. Anybody who stands in our way in any of the cups we are targeting would pay dearly for it.
Meanwhile, Owoeye said about twenty teams coming from Kano, Kaduna, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Lagos have confirmed participation as the best players and patrons in the country set their sights on Ibadan.
As at the last count, over fifteen heavily fortified visiting teams are invading the foremost Eleyele rolling polo ground for the event, just as Ibadan is throwing in as many as teams into what promises to be the fiercely contested Ibadan 2022 tournament.
Adeyemi further confirmed that host Ibadan will contest for all the major prizes at stake as well as confirming their participation of major polo clubs including Port Harcourt, Jos, Abuja and Lagos expected to dispatch a strong contingent.
Owoeye, who led Ibadan quest for one the biggest prizes at the recently concluded Lagos international tourney, disclosed that the biggest prize at stake during the2022 Ibadan polo fiesta remains the evergreen Ibadan Cup presented in the early 1930s by Colonel R. Petit of the 9th Lancer of the then British colonial masters.
Others are the Rotimi Cup, Ade Alakija Cup played in memory of the former Ibadan Polo Captain, and The GOC Cup, The GOC Cup as well as a handful selected prizes and awards.
It was also confirmed that subsidiary prizes to be carted home by the winners include the Professor Jide Owoeye Cup, Governor’s Cup, HST Cup and Shoreline Cup, among others.
TheNation/Nnenna.O