As the Sallah holidays approach, polo clubs across Nigeria are gearing up for a series of exciting tournaments to celebrate the occasion.
The Fifth Chukker & Country Polo Club in Kaduna has already scheduled its Eid Polo tournament for the lawns of the Kangimi between April 11 and 14.
Other major polo centers, including the Kaduna Polo Club, Kano Polo Club, Guards Polo Club in Abuja, and Katsina Polo Club, are also finalizing preparations to host special tournaments during the Sallah and Easter holidays.
According to a chieftain of the Kaduna Polo Club, “Yes, we are hoping to organize a special Sallah mini-tournament this year for all the good reasons. Kaduna Polo Club has a tradition of hosting Sallah tournaments, and the committee is pulling all stops to host another exciting and memorable event this May.”
The tournament is expected to be a three- or four-day event, featuring fun and exciting polo matches.
“It would be three or four days of fun as we enjoy the Sallah with our family members and friends during the holiday at the foremost Murtala Mohammed Square that has played host to high-profile events and now the much-anticipated Sallah fiesta,” the tournament official enthused.
The event is also seen as an opportunity for the clubs to prepare their players ahead of the commencement of the polo season, which went on recess in March before the Ramadan period.
Elsewhere, other clubs like Guards Polo Club in Abuja, Kano Polo Club, Katsina Polo Club, Minna Polo Club, and several private polo clubs are planning similar tournaments as part of events lined up for Sallah festivities.
The Maiduguri Polo Club, the newly inaugurated Jalingo Polo Club, Zaria Polo Club, and Yola Polo Club are also planning to host polo tournaments or Durbar events during the celebration, scheduled to take place in the second week of April, shortly after the Ramadan fasting period.
Similarly, the Seat of Caliphate is set to celebrate Sallah in grand style, hosting a mini-tournament during the festive period to mark the end of the religious fasting period.
“We are hoping to use the Salah event to solicit public support in our effort to develop our new land, which the governor kindly allocated to us in fulfillment of his promise to resuscitate the noble game of the kings in the state,” an official from Sokoto Polo Club stated.
Over the years, the annual Sallah mini-tournament has enjoyed the patronage of the Sultan of Sokoto, His Royal Highness, Sultan Saa’d Abubakar (111), the State Governor, National Assembly members, highly placed indigenes of the state, and polo enthusiasts.
Since the game went into hibernation in the Seat of Caliphate some years ago, the Sallah event has remained the only touch of hope for the restoration of the noble game in the state.
As the polo clubs prepare for the Sallah Polo Tourneys, excitement is building up among polo enthusiasts and fans, who are eagerly looking forward to the thrilling matches and festivities.
With the tournaments promising to be an exciting and memorable event, showcasing the best of Nigerian polo, the stage is set for a spectacular celebration of the Ramadan holidays.