President of Port Harcourt Polo Club, Engr. Chukwudi Dimkpa has revealed that the club under his watch is using the game of Polo as an instrument of bringing young people out of restiveness.
Dimkpa made the disclosure while speaking to newsmen at the kick- off of the 2023 NPA Port Harcourt Polo Club lnternational Polo tournament in Port Harcourt.
“Like you all know, sports is a way of keeping our youths active, and once they are active, they will not be restive.
“So as at today, Port Harcourt Polo Club is using Polo to engage the young ones,” he said.
He used the occasion to highlight achievement of the club and also expressed joy that the annual Port Harcourt International Polo tournament has become a global brand that keeps improving year- on- year.
“O yes, it get better, this is normal, the tournament gets better by the day.
“In the Niger Delta, we have a sister club we assisted in opening in Bayelsa state a few years ago. So we are two Polo clubs in the Niger Delta,” he said.
Engr. Dimkpa used the opportunity to dispel misleading motions that the game of Polo is meant for a certain class of people in the society, stating that the only major criteria to become a Polo player is to love the game and horses.
“You have to first love horses. That’s the major criteria, and then you apply and go through the interview process.
“When they say it’s not meant for the common man, it’s myth. Polo is a game of Kings and everybody, even that common man is King in his kitchen, which means you are a king, so the game is for you” .
Dimkpa who double as a member of the newly inaugurated Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission ( NDDC) representing Rivers State enjoined Polo enthusiasts and fun seekers to relax and enjoy the game beautiful evenings activities in a relaxed atmosphere.
He thanked the security agencies, particularly the Nigerian Navy, for assisting in providing adequate security and allayed fear of any form of challenges or breaches.