It was not just another polo event. The just concluded Dawule Baba Memorial Polo Tournament was highlighted with the unveiling of Dawule Baba Polo Ground, which was a special sporting fiesta where polo enthusiasts savored the noble game and paid glowing tributes to the Nigerian legend.
 
President of Kaduna Polo Club, Mohammad Babangida, who led members of the board of trustees, Vice President, Gen Kapeh Kazir, and members of the management committee of the club to the unveiling arena, said the club is dedicating the main ground to the everlasting memory of the foremost Nigerian polo ambassador.
 
“His passion for polo, his sportsmanship, and his enduring legacy both on and off the field will be remembered with admiration and respect,” the Kaduna polo boss declared, before leading the DeeBee Polo team to win the inaugural Dawule Baba Memorial Cup.
 
The cup has been institutionalised as one of the major polo prizes to be contested at major tournaments in Kaduna.
 
The high-goal match-up against Kaduna Kakuri team was a cracking encounter that gave the overflowing stands of polo buff plenty to cheer as DeeBee Farms warriors handed a thumping defeat to their hard-fighting opponents.
 
Also speaking at the event, General Kazir, who doubles as the chairman of Clearwater Polo Farm, said numerous legacies of the Nigerian polo ambassador are worth celebrating and treasured for future generations.
 
He explained that in identifying with the event, Clearwater Polo as one of the sponsors is keying into the highly treasured legacies of the late “teacher,” whose passion for the game transcends a mere love for the noble game of polo.
 
“The teacher, who was part of our team, often gave us technical advice and encouragement even before he passed on. By sponsoring the Clearwater Beginners Cup, Babies & Toddlers Cup, and the Clearwater Youth Challenge Cup, we are preserving his legacies of training, mentoring, and encouragement of upcoming players, among others.”
 
Other top winners of the four-day event that turned the Murtala Square into a carnival of sorts include SKK Club and the Askira team that outpaced their opponents in the finals, to clinch the EL-Amin Cup and the Annadariya Cup respectively.
 
The duo of Khalil and Khalifa Babangida both pivoted their Clearwater White team to win the Clearwater Youth Challenge and became the first-ever winners of the Dawule Baba Youth Challenge prize.
 
Earlier, Tournament Manager, Atiku Abubakar Saleh, who thanked EL-Amin, Clearwater, Anandariya, Barbados, Trobell International, and others for honouring the Nigerian polo icon with their sponsorships, commended polo patrons, players, and others for honouring the legend.