As the ongoing 2024 Lagos international polo tournament heads to its grand finale this week, the glittering Silver Cup will take centre stage with fourteen teams drawn from all the major polo centres across the country vying for the coveted polo prize.
The prestigious Lagos polo fiesta that marks its 120th anniversary this year, galloped with fanfare on January 23 at the Ribadu Road Polo Ground in Ikoyi with a record 39 teams campaigning for honours.
Polo Royals report that the final stage of the polo event decided over four weeks of top class polo and exciting games, will see a crowded field of equally matched low-goal teams from Abuja, Kano, Kaduna, Ibadan and host Lagos slugging it out for the Silver Cup from February 13-18, 2024.
On the playing turf Sheyi Onyinola wrote his name in gold as he led the trio of Mayowa Ogunnisi, Lalu Agoro, Timi Badiru and Baba Dantata in Team Lagos 1974 colours to brushed past Team Lagos 2010, to clinch the coveted Governor’s Cup,
Team Lagos 1904 boasting youngsters like Tayo Ojora, Adebayo Karim, Osaro Omoruyi and Mohammed Dangote were the other top flyers of the second week, sailing past their Team Lagos 1962 opponents to win the Lagos Heritage Cup.
Other top winners of the glamorous polo festival include the defending champions, Lagos Leighton Kings made good their pre- tournament ratings edging arch rivals Art Hotel Shoreline in a gusty final game to retain the event’s biggest prize, the Majekodunmi Cup.
“It’s unbelievable. I couldn’t describe the first time we won so I don’t know how to put this one into words,” Jolaoso, Patron of Leighton Kings declared shortly after the tense final match.
“It could have gone either way after they (Art Hotel Shoreline) drew level late in the last chukka, but our winning edge tilted in our favour,” he added.