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P/H Polo Tournament Now Kicks Off Jan. 21
By Polycarp Nwaeke
The Port Harcourt Polo Club tournament which was supposed to
have started January 7 but was postponed because of the strike
embarked upon by the organized Labour groups against President
Jonathan's removal of fuel subsidy, now kicks off January 21 at
the Port Harcourt Polo Club.
Alhaji Nasiru Danu the tournament's manager who disclosed this
said there was no way invited teams, both foreign and local
could have come to Port Harcourt that first Week of January when
roads and airports were shut down and economic activities
grounded as a result of the strike.
Alhaji Danu said it was because of this that the tournament was
postponed and now fixed to hold between January 21 and 28 and
maintained that the thirty two (32) local clubs and their
foreign counter parts invited would still participate in the
competition.
Some of them, according to him, had already sent their horses to
Port Harcourt saying the club has taken the responsibility of
feeding them pending their arrival.
The local teams, he said, were coming from Maiduguri, Adamawa,
Sokoto, Kano, Jigawa, Ibadan and Lagos while the foreign ones
are coming from South Africa, Ghana and other countries.
The tournament's manager told our correspondent that although
there were variations and changes in the former arrangements for
the tournament, the club still intends to maintain 100 room
accommodation it initially planned for guest and had gone ahead
to secure 80 rooms from Presidential Hotel, La Meridian and
others, adding that they had informed the Hotels that the
January 7th date was no longer feasible and they saw reason with
them.
Alhaji Nasiru assured that adequate preparations have been made
for the tournament, adding that part of the preparations was a
brand new twenty room groom quarters built by NAFCON as well as
a N50 million (fifty million) pavilion project Prince Tonye
Princewill was building for the club.
He also assured of adequate security, saying the tournament
committee had met with the Commissioner of Police, Brigade
Commander, SSS Director and other security agencies for the
purpose of providing security.
With the crisis in the club over, Alhaji Danu said Rivers people
and others who would come should expect a wonderful competition
where great Polo players will show case wonderful skills and
talents.
The tournament which will also feature Army, Navy and Nigeria
Polo teams, as well as attract prominent citizens like the Emir
of Katsina, the trustee of the Port Harcourt Polo club, Demeji
Bankole, former speaker, Babangida's son and governor Amaechis
Alhaji Nasiru said, will improve tourism potentials in the
state.###
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