As the national polo tour heads to its grand finale in Plateau State, there are strong indications the latest polo resort in the country, the Crown Club and Resort, would host some of the matches of the forthcoming 2023/2024 Jos Winter Polo Tournament.
President of Jos Polo Club, Alhaji Murtala Ahmad Laushi , dropped this hint , stating that the arrangement has been put in place as the club is expecting another large contingent of entries with preparations in full swing ahead of the prestigious Jos annual polo tournament.
“We are looking at the possibility of having more entries than last year where over fifty teams from across the country registered to compete for honours and we had the play from morning till late evenings daily,” Laushi stated.
“With the Crown Polo Club & Resort readily at hand, we now have the capacity to handle the large turnout as some of the games would be played at the resort and this would ease the pressure on polo ground and give out esteemed guests, players, and polo enthusiasts to explore more of Jos, the Home of Tourism.”
The idyllic Crown Polo Club & Resort nested off University of Jos Hostel Complex with hills as perfect backdrops. It is a signature project built to celebrate and deepen the return of peace to the Plateau State and promote polo and tourism in the state highly revered for its abundance of natural tourism sites.
With two polo fields built to international standards, over hundred resident polo ponies complete with hotels, shopping arcade and facilities for other sporting activities, the resort would not only promote the king of Games, but will generally restore the pride of plateau as a tourist destination of choice.
Billed for the foremost General Hassan Katsina Polo Ground, Jos polo festival stands alone as the only winter polo in the country ending holiday season from December 26 and to a grand finale on January 2, 2024.
Four traditional cup categories with the President Cup, Governor’s Cup, NASCO Cup and Imani Cup. Handful of subsidiary prizes would be on offer and participating teams would be locked in eight days of fierce battle royals to decide the winners of the winter polo festival.
Traditionally, the Jos 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,” declared Edward Fom, the Vice President of Jos Polo Club.
Jos Polo Club captain, Yusuf Dauda , confirmed that teams from most of the major clubs across the country have indicated interest in jostling for top honours in the event this year.
Top teams from Abuja, Minna, Kano, Zaria, Yola, Port Harcourt, Katsina, Kaduna, Bauchi, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Taraba State and Keffi are listed for action.
Year 2022 witnessed an exhilarating conclusion to the Jos Winter Polo Tournament at the Gen. Usman Katsina Polo Ground with four-time defending champions, Jos Malcomines, extending their dominance with a fifth Governor Cup victory.
It was a thrilling display of skills as top Nigerian and foreign professionals go horse for horse, mallet for mallet, to the delight of the surging crowd that included state governors, first class Emirs from Bauchi, Wase, Dass among others as well as members of the National Assembly, business tycoons and thousands of polo buffs.