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After years of not hosting any tournament, the Zaria Polo Club is expected to bounce back with sponsorship of this year’s Zaria Polo Tournament. A giant communication mobile network, MTN yesterday became the main sponsor of this year’s Zaria Polo tournament 2012 earmarking the sum of N5m for the tourney.
According to the captain of the club, this year’s tournament which will be sponsored by MTN will last for 7 days from 14 to 21 of April. Alhaji Muktar Isa Hazo added that already 28 polo teams across the country have registered for the tournament.
“Yes MTN is the main sponsor of this year’s Zaria Polo tournament, and they have given out N5m for the event. As of now, about 28 teams have registered for the tournament and most of the Polo club across the country will be part of the 7 days tournament” the captain confirmed to LEADERSHIP SPORTS.
Hazo added that eight teams have also registered as teams who will entertain spectators in the traditional city of Zaria, Kaduna State. Other Sponsors include, Vice President Fed Rep of Nigeria ARC. Namadi Sambo, Kaduna and Bauchi State governments and some local governments in Kaduna state. Others include Iyan Zazzau, Katsina and Zazzau Emirate Councils; Matawallen Dass and Justice Saifullahi Muttaka Coomassie.
Major trophies in the tournament are the Royal Signal Cup which only players with +2 handcarf to and above will only play, Emir of Zazzau Cup +5 to +7, Governors Cup +2 to +4, and University Cup-2 to +1.
The selected trophies to play in the tournament are, Commandant Cup, Sarkin Zazzau Malam Jafaru Memorial Cup, Veterans Cup, Beginners Cup, and Gen. Hassan Usman Katsina Cup. About 75 polo ponies are expected in the Zaria Polo club.
Speaking on the revival of the dormant, Captain Muktar Isa said: “One of our famous player Aminu Gagare’s effort in making sure this club come back alive made him do a door to door soliciting for members after being dormant for almost a decade and solicited the assistance of the likes of Sarkin Kudun Zazzau, Sarkin Malaman Zazzau, Bunun Zazzau, Danmakwayon Zazzau, Ibrahim B.N Paki of Biz Oil & Gas and Aliyu Musa of MTN.
“He also make sure that people like Aminu Sa`idu Iya, Abubakar Sani Rimin Tsiwa, Faruk Dokaje, Umar Abdullahi, Aliyu Umar, Nafi`u Mairiga, Danladi Kuta, Adamu Idris and myself joined the club within a short time. With Gagare’s dream, we promised to make sure that this club bounce back to life” he concluded.
Thanking MTN, he promised to make the Zaria Polo tournament this year one of the memorable ones for participants.
