The ancient kingdom of Katsina celebrated one of its grandest moments as polo patrons, players and dignitaries turned up in droves to welcome former President Muhammadu Buhari as the week-long 2023 Katsina Polo Festival came to end .

Buhari who made the grand return to the Sir Usman Nagogo Polo Ground for the festival after a long while, participated fully from the opening day to the grand finale, giving out prizes to winners to cap an unforgettable eight days of festivities in the “Home of Nigerian Polo”.

The much-heralded season opening tourney with unparalleled excitement across the country, came to a climax last Saturday with Katsina Max Air winning the event’s biggest prize, The Nigerian Cup and the Dikko Memorial Cup in one big swoop.

The revered Nigerian Cup final was in its full bloom as home crowd favourites, made good their pre-tournament rating, flying past determined Kaduna Trappco, to retain the title and clinched the Dikko Cup, played in everlasting memory of the father of Nigerian polo.

In a grand finale watched by chief host, the Emir of Katsina, HRH Alhaji (Dr) Abdulmumuni Kabir Usman, other first-class Emirs and a crowded VIP stand loaded with dignitaries and thousands of enthusiastic polo buffs, Max Air (2) Team defeated visiting Kano Nassiriya team to win the event’s second most wanted prize, the General Hassan Cup.

It was not a smooth sailing for Katsina-based teams as Mohammad Babangida-powered Minna Profile provided the biggest upset of the prestigious fiesta, edging highly rated Kwakol Polo Team in the final, with Mambo Musa scoring the sudden death goal to earn Profile’s their first ever Talba Cup title.

Other big winners of the grand event include Gilaso Ismanaf team from Kano who defeated their Katsina Al-Muazzam opponents in the final to clinch the newly introduced Wazirin Katsina Cup and the Coomassie Cup respectively.

An elated Chairman of Katsina Polo Club, Muhammadu Sarki who led his Katsina Kangiwa team to win first cup of the tournament, hailed the home teams for making Katsina proud during the international polo fiesta, dedicating all the prizes won by home based teams to the Emir of Katsina, who is Life Chairman of Nigerian polo.

“His Royal Highness has been our biggest benefactor and chief motivator over the decades and we owe him this token of appreciation by dedicating our superlative 2023 performance to him” Sarki added moments after the festival.

President of Katsina Polo Club, Prince Sanusi Kabir Usman who was lauded for being highly successful, congratulated the winners and all participating players for making the prestigious Katsina 2023 polo extravaganza such an unforgettable fiesta.

He assured that the club which was established in the early 1920s will continue to partner the state government and other stakeholders in promoting the noble game of kings across the country and the rich cultural heritage of the ancient kingdom of Katsina.

“I want to thank the Katsina State Government, The Katsina Emirate Council, all our esteemed sponsors, all the players and fans for their loyalty to the event and for making the Katsina international polo tournament one of the biggest and the most exciting polo festivals in the country and indeed Africa,” Sanusi added.

The history of the Katsina Polo Club started from within the Royal House of Katsina after the then Emir of Katsina HRH Alhaji Muhammadu Dikko went to England and witnessed the game of Polo. On coming back, he got his children and courtiers to start playing the game.

The spearhead of this introduction was the then Prince and later Emir of Katsina HRH Alhaji (Sir) Usman Nagogo who started playing in 1939 and till date is the highest handicapped Nigerian player ever having attained a handicap of 7 goals.

Nagogo played internationally with his first game in Kirtlington, England while the late Emir of Katsina, HRH Alhaji Kabir Usman also started playing the same year with HRH Alhaji (Sir) Usman Nagogo in 1939.

Katsina is considered to be the home of polo as it is the birth of the national polo body which was formed in 1920 under the leadership of HRH Alhaji Muhammadu Dikko.

Since then, Polo became the traditional sport for the Princes and Emirs of Katsina up to the current Emir, HRH Alhaji (Dr.) Abdulmumini Kabir Usman (CFR) who started playing polo in the early 1980’s.

Culled from The Nation