Pictures: Malcomines win President’s cup as curtains fall on 2022 National Carnival Polo tourney

Malcomines of Jos on Sunday December 18 beat all odds to emerge winners of the President’s Cup at the just concluded 2022 National Carnival Polo Tournament in Abuja.

Up to six cups were competed for during the tournament which was meant to showcase and celebrate the tourism potentials and cultural heritage of the country, with over 28 teams across the country as well as participants both from home and abroad taking part.

The cups competed include The President’s Cup, Legislative Shield, FCT Minister’s Cup and Guards Challenge Trophy.

Others are the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Cup and the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS).

Some of Nigeria’s best performing teams, Jos Malcomines, 60 Yards/Afmaaj Consulting, Abuja Rubicon, Max Air, the Nigerian Army Polo team and Police IGP Strikers braced up for another epic battle as the much awaited carnival polo tournament galloped off with fanfare in the nation’s capital city.

Former champions, Malcomines were the team to beat in the President’s Cup as they squared up against 60 Yards/ AFMAAJ Consulting team in a make or mar duel to decide the winner of the prestigious cup and the overall champion of the 2022 carnival polo.

The Murtala Laushi (+1) powered Malcomines paraded a formidable side which included its hired assassins, Argentine players Alejo Alanburo (+5) and Fernando Munez (+3) as well as Nigeria’s top player Hamisu Buba (+4).

The Malcomines outclassed the quartet of 60 Yard’s Bashir Bashir Dantata (+3), Muktar Adhama (+2), Kwame Isa (+3) and Abdulrahman Muhammed (+3).

At the commencement of the final match, 60 Yards were awarded two and a half goal to level the teams handicap.

But the skillful team play by Buba and Alanburo was a master stroke as both combined well to score a total of nine goals for a 10 to 6 and a half goal victory at the end of a five chukka thriller.

Serial champions Abuja Rubicon team had their hands full as they battled two arch rivals, Katsina Max Air and Senator Haliru Jika’s Dokaji team in the race for the event’s second most wanted prize, the Legislative Shield.

At the end, the quartet of Rubicon’s Abdulrahman Sirika (+1), Jamilu Isiyaku (+1) as well as the Badamasi brothers Abdulmalik (+4) and Idris (+3) proved too strong for Max Air, beating the Katsina-based team 4 and a half goals to 3 in the final battle for supremacy in the Legislative Shield.

Old foes, the Nigerian Army polo team and the Police polo team whose history of rivalry dates back over a century, headlined a crowded field of ten teams who chased after the glittering FCT Minister’s Cup.

At the end, it was the fortified Police and the Nigerian Army teams who emerged winners of their streams which set the stage for a blistering fire-for-fire final encounter as both sides rekindled age long rivalry in the final of the FCT Ministers’ Cup.

Top firing Brig. Gen. Umar Laka-led the Army warriors, while the never- say -die CSP Usman Michika-led Police Strikers clashed in the battle royale that has remained the talk of the town after the end of the tournament.

The Nigeria Army polo team edged past the IGP Strikers 5 goals to 4 to emerge winners of the FCT Minister’s Cup at the end of a tightly-contested and pulsating four chukka encounter.

Meanwhile, six ambitious teams dominated as rookies and beginners were in the trenches for the low-goal Guards Challenge Cup race that wore on till the last games to separate the winners.

However, it was Dogonyaro Farms who beat Alphamsa 4 goals to 2 in the final to claim the low-goal prize.

Other cups competed for include the COAS Cup and CNS Cup.

The cups were in honour of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Farouk Yahaya and the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo.

Operation Hadinkai narrowly beat Operation Sanity 7 -6 in a fierce encounter to emerge eventual winners of COAS Cup, while NNS Prosperity defeated NNS Unity 5 goals to 4 to win the CNS Cup.

The week-long international carnival fiesta which galloped off at the Nigeria Polo Resort/Guards Polo Club on December 10 came to a climax on Sunday.