May 18, (THEWILL) – The Nigeria Polo Federation (NPF), is all geared to participate in the 4th edition of Moroccan King Mohammad VI International Polo Tournament, which will be held from 22nd to 27th of May, 2023, in Rabat and Tangiers, Morocco. Nigeria’s participation in the tournament was confirmed on Wednesday day in Abuja, May 17th 2023, by Nura Sani Kangiwa, the President of Nigeria Polo Federation. The King Mohammad VI International Polo Tournament is organised under the auspices of the Moroccan Royal Federation of Polo.
The Nigerian Polo Federation (NPF) is the official Polo games regulator in Nigeria and is a member of Federation of International Polo, the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) and International Olympic Committee (IOC) as a whole. Over the years, the NPF has effectively led the Nigerian polo team to partake in numerous international competitions, including the Federation of International Polo (FIP) World Cup qualifiers in Malaysia.
Speaking in his Abuja office regarding Nigeria’s participation in the King Mohammad VI International Polo Tournament, Nura Sani Kangiwa, the current NPF President, disclosed that, “it is instructive to note that this is an 8-Nation Tournament comprising Teams from Morocco, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Argentina, USA, Spain and Dubai. And, I assure you, the Nigerian polo team to this 4th edition of the King Mohammad VI International Polo Tournament is quite formidable and very experienced. Members of the Nigeria polo team this year’s tournament are my humble self, Abdulkarim Jibril, Murtala Ahmad Laushi, Mohammed Abba Kyari, Shehu Sani Kangiwa, Hamisu Buba, Solomon Bassi, Fernando Munoz, Abdulmalik Bariki and Bello Samaila.”
Nura Kangiwa, who is also the Director General of National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), explained further that “Polo tournaments remain one of the biggest sporting events that traditionally turns a serene polo ground into the battlefield of high-end polo, attracting international VIP’s and celebrities from far and wide. Our attendance at this annual tournament will no doubt help develop and enhance Nigeria’s profile throughout the world.”
Polo was first played in Nigeria in 1904 in Lagos. In those early days, the governing body of polo in Nigeria was the Nigerian Polo Association (NPA), which was established in 1920, it was subsequently transformed into the Nigeria Polo Federation (NPF) in 2009.
PHOTO CAPTION
L-R: Representative of UNICEF in Nigeria, Cristian Munduate; former Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki; Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki; and former Edo State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akoria Obehi, at the Nigeria Primary Health Care (PHC) Leadership Challenge, in Abuja.
Janefrances Ebere Chibuzor is a Tourism Writer at THEWILL
