Abuja Almat team won the highly coveted Majekodunmi Cup in first attempt as curtain fell on the GTB 2019 Lagos International Polo Tournament last weekend.
The prestigious polo carnival that pitch over 34 polo teams and top Nigerian and foreign players left in its glowing trail many memorable highpoints both on and off the pitch. One such glittering highlight was the final game that decided the winners of the event’s biggest prize and Nigeria’s oldest polo trophy, the Independence Cup.
The tense final game that was decided before loaded galleries of the foremost Ikoyi polo club saw Bode Makanjuola’s Centaurs taking an early lead with two quick goals through Diego White and held on till the third chukka, when Maurice Ekpenyong’s Almat responded with two goals.
Almat fought back gallantly to draws level 6-6 in the fifth chukka, but their rally came rather late as Centaurs enjoying huge added two more goals in the dying minutes of the last chukka, stunning their Abuja opponents 8-6 final scores to cart home the Independence Cup.
The Low Cup final that preceded the final game, also produced a new winner as Bello Buba pivoted Sublime team out gun Aplus RCF 51/2-5 in a closely fought final game to win, to win Low Cup, while Kano Ibah got the better of Lagos Agad team to clinch the subsidiary prize.
But the finest moments of the finale stage of the international polo grand slam that was inaugurated in 1904, belong to Abuja Almat whose stunning performance fetch them the Majekodunmi Cup after winning their opening game 11-8 against Lagos STL, to clinch the glittering Italian Ambassador’s Cup
Seyi Tinubu’s STL who were also pushing to win the Majek Cup title on first attempt finished runners-up, in a promising campaign that stands them out as one of the best performing teams in the 2019 Lagos tournament that include APlus Renmoney, Carverton / Saopolo and Lagos NRT.
The first phase of the 2019 GTBank Lagos International Polo Tournament ended with Kaduna Trappco edging Almat Farms of Abuja to emerge champions of the Open Cup, while Lagos NRT defeated Kaduna Tila Farms to clinch the Silver Cup.