Three Lagos-based teams dominated the opening week of the ongoing 2026 Lagos International Polo Tournament, which the second week will see teams contesting for the biggest prize of the event, the Majekodunmi Cup.

Leading the winners’ list is Lagos Art Hotel, Lagos STL and Lagos Shoreline/A1, which won the Chapel Hill Denham Cup, the Adedapo Ojora Cup and the highly revered Oba of Lagos Cup, respectively.

The Seyi Tinubu-powered STL opened the floodgate of victories for the homers, turning back archrivals, Lagos Shoreline/A1, in a hotly contested final game, to clinch the Adedapo Ojora Cup. They won the five-chukka encounter 10- 5.

STL parading Yasin Amusan, Alfie Hyde, Chris Mackenzie and Tayo Ojora jumped to the driving seat in the Adedapo Ojora Cup’s final game and remained ahead till the final chukka of the game despite a spirited fight back by the quartet of A1/Shoreline that boosted the likes of Olumide Agboola, Sule Musa, Isa Kwame and Manuel Crespo.

Tayo, who received the trophy named after his father during the prize presentation ceremony, praised his teammates for their commitment throughout the crucial game.

A1 Shoreline made up for their slow start in the race for the Dapo Ojora Cup by defeating the visiting Wilttten Aviation team from Port Harcourt 8-5 to clinch the traditional Oba of Lagos Cup.

The opening week of the biggest polo tournament in Africa ended in a sensational way when Art Hotel came from 2-6 goals down in the third chukka to steal a dramatic victory in the Chapel Hill Denham Cup, edging hot favourites, STL, 13-12.

Art Hotel team featuring Baba Dantata, Folarin Kuku, Segundo Liorente and Bauti Panelo started the Chapel Hill Denham Cup final on a shaky note, dropping to a massive four-goal deficit with just two chukkas left to play.

But Segundo and Panelo, who were playing their first tournament in Africa, marshalled Kuku and Dantata to turn defeat into victory in the closing moments of the final.

The 2026 Lagos polo tournament, which galloped off on January 27 at the foremost Ribadu Polo Ground, enters its second week this week with the Majekodunmi Cup.

Other glittering high-goal cups on offer this week are the Sani Dangote Cup, the Argentine Ambassador’s Cup, the Owen Cup and the oldest polo laurel in Nigeria, the Independence Cup.