Polo is no more an elitist game in Nigeria – Ogboro

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By; JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON, Kaduna.
The tagging of polo as an elitist game no longer fits as the game is now being played by any player who has a passion and interest, the President of the Nigeria Polo Federation (NPF) Mr. Francis Ibrahim Ogboro has said.
He expressed this while speaking to newsmen ahead of the closing ceremony of the 2016 Kaduna International Polo Tournament.
According to him, fortunately for players in Nigeria, patrons of polo teams are generous and provide horses and other welfare to players, which makes them play the game even without owning horses.
He said that several players who are not in the class of ‘elites’ are playing the game with some even earning their source of livelihood from it.
Speaking further, the NPF President said that even for those who own horses and have stables, it is far cheaper to play polo in Nigeria, compared to so many other countries.
“For example, a friend came to the Lagos Polo Club to watch a game, got interested and decided to start a team. He was able to get some horses a stable and carried on for four years till he was transferred to Singapore.
“He called me to give him a recommendation letter, which I did and I thought he had settled down to the game there, only for him to call me after some time to apologise to me for wasting my time in recommending him. He was disappointed that over there, setting up a stable and playing the game was so expensive, so he couldn’t do it there,” he said.
Ogboro who for the fourth consecutive time emerged President of the NPF on Thursday, said that his victory was well deserved.
“People are watching and they see that we are developing the game by developing young players. They have been following my track records from the Lagos Polo Club where I led them successfully for years,” he added.
The NPF President who said he had been playing polo since 1991, said that he was impressed with the turn out of spectators at the Kaduna Polo Tournament, adding that better things were on the way.

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