Kaduna Kangimi, at the weekend, defeated Mohammed Babangida’s El-Amin 13 goals to seven to win their first Georgian Cup title in 10 years. But it was not an easy victory in the 103-year-old competition sponsored by First Bank at the Kaduna Polo Club.

The Adamu Attah-led Kangimi recovered from an early setback, courtesy of a goal from Mohammed Babangida to set the crowd into wild jubilations.

The +18 goal team comprising Lado Aliyu (+3), who replaced the team’s patron, Atta, Abdulrahman Mohammed (+3) and two Argentines, Facundo Ratamar (+6) and Nicolas Recaite (+6), took control of the match,despite the early setback, to overcome El-Amin, which also lost in the final of the last edition to Abuja Rubicon.

Goals from Recaite, Lado, Retamar and Abdulrahman aided Kangimi’s victory. Although the El-Amin side, comprising Mohammed Babangida (+3), Ibrahim Babangida, Ringa Genaro and Bauste Arastus, fought back in the fourth chukker,the hard fighting Kangimi repelled them to take the top prize.

Speaking during the prize presentation, star of the match, Policeman Lado Aliyu, described their victory as a welcome development, saying it has been over 10 years since they last won the famous FirstBank sponsored trophy.

Also speaking at the presentation, FirstBank’s Group Executive, Retail Banking, North, Shehu Aliyu, said his brand is proud to associate with the Georgian Cup.

“We believe in legacies, and we build legacies across our relationships and that is what we at FirstBank do with our sponsorships. The Georgian Cup, which is the most prominent trophies in polo, is also part of our legacies because we believe in legacy,” he said.

Promising that FirstBank would continue to honour its commitment to the Georgian Cup, Aliyu said, “in doing this, we have been able to support the nurturing of and discovery of talents in most of the sports we are committed to.”