Fifth Chukker Polo Club and Barbados were in their majestic best, at the weekend, winning the Herbert Wigwe Cup and the Usman Dantata Shield, respectively, at the UNICEF Charity Shield Polo Tournament held at the Kaduna Polo Club.
The highlight of the event was the inauguration of the Herbert Wigwe Cup and the commissioning of a 60-classroom school project by Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, who also laid the foundation for an additional 60 classrooms built by Access Bank and its Charity Shield partners at Maraban Jos, Kaduna.
The Fifth Chukker team achieved a double victory, winning both the Charity Shield and the newly introduced Herbert Wigwe Cup, dedicated to the memory of the late promoter of the UNICEF Charity Shield Polo initiative.
Additionally, Kaduna Barbados triumphed over Lagos MSD BabyBears in a closely contested final to win the Usman Dantata Cup.
The tournament featured over 25 teams, with players from Argentina, South Africa, and top Nigerian athletes competing in four exciting finals across low, medium, intermediate, and high-goal categories.
At the end of the competition, Governor Sani praised the late Herbert Wigwe for spearheading an initiative that has transformed the lives of orphaned and less privileged children, highlighting Wigwe’s dedication to humanitarian and educational causes, particularly for disadvantaged and out-of-school children.
“There is an important need for both private and public sectors to do a lot more in support of the Nigerian child, particularly orphans and vulnerable children, to enable them to look forward to a better tomorrow,” Governor Sani remarked while commissioning the school complex.
Access Bank Managing Director, Roosevelt Ogbonna, expressed gratitude to Kaduna State for its exceptional charity partnership with Access Bank, Fifth Chukker, and UNICEF.
He emphasised that the Charity Shield platform has significantly impacted communities in Kaduna State by providing essential social amenities. This commitment was further enhanced with the launch of the Give Project, aimed at raising funds to support the educational needs of students at the Access Bank Fifth Chukker School project in Maraban Jos, Kaduna.
