NAPA, Guards Polo Club inaugurate new club house
By Emmanuel Afonne
The Nigeria Army Polo Association (NAPA)/Guards Polo Club, on Friday inaugurated its new club house at the Nigeria Army Polo Resort, Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the club house was donated by Lubrik Construction Company (LCC) to the NAPA/Guards Polo Club, Abuja as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
The facility, which cost the firm about N500 million in construction and furnishing, was flagged-off with the groundbreaking ceremony in Nov. 2020.
The inauguration, which took place on the sidelines of the ongoing 2023 National Carnival Polo Tournament, saw former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, perform the ceremonial cutting of the tape at the facility.
Sirika told newsmen that the edifice would propel him, other enthusiasts and fans to watch the game of polo.
“I’m really excited, delighted, happy to have a facility like this.
“I spend most of my time here in this club, it means I am not going anywhere else.
“We now have a lounge where one can relax, enjoy good food, and listen to good music,” he said.
Sirika, who is also the patron of the Rubicon Polo team, stressed that the club house boasts of the best of everything.
He added that the facility was world-class and could rival with the best in the world.
“There’s the open air, the indoor, the exclusive part. This is the best that you can have.
“I think this will take polo and this facility, the Guards Polo Club, to a higher level.
“There’s nothing like it now in this country, and I am really glad that gentlemen and ladies in this club have done this much.
“I’m very excited, and I can’t wait to start using it tomorrow morning,” he said.
The Chairman of NAPA, Brig. Gen. Adamu Laka, said the new club house would serve as a comfort zone for fans and players.
He said that the club had also embarked on a series of programmes in a bid to reproduce potential polo players.
“Well, this is my place. So, we thank the chairman of the Nigerian Army Polo Resort, Nasiru Danu for making this possible.
“We had a clubhouse before, but it was just a little structure, but he was able to bring in investment and bring this edifice to reality.
“So, we are all very thankful to him,” he said.
Laka noted that the club now has a place where people can come and relax, adding that it was also open to the public.
“The clubhouse is a place where you could come have lunch before your game. You can also come with your family to watch the game of polo.
“It’s just a place to relax and have fun.
“This is a place that we hold in great esteem for members of the club, and we will do everything to keep it functional and maintain the standard.
“The management of the clubhouse has a lot to do to maintain the standard and make sure that the food and ambience is what the public wants,” he said.
He also attributed the success of the club, the infrastructural development, and upgraded facilities at the club to the healthy partnership between NAPA and the Guards Polo Club.
“Guards polo club belongs to the Nigerian Army, and the Army is part of the society.
“So, we got the civilians to manage the club because we are not always stable in one place, and it has been a win-win working relationship for all stakeholders,” he said.
The NAPA boss also said that the resort accommodates other sports, apart from polo.
He explained that the idea was to promote grassroots sports development.
“This is the Nigeria Army Polo Resort, and the resort has various facilities, but the major facility here is the polo.
“We started with polo and then the Chief of Army Staff directed that I bring this place to world standard.
“Based on his directive, we introduced an archery club. We have the Scorpion Archery Club, where you can bring your children to learn how to shoot a bow and arrow.
“Then we have a five-a-side football field, a basketball court, and a tennis facility there.
“We are also building a children’s equestrian riding school, where children between the ages 3 to 8 can be trained by professionals on the basics of horse riding before they are introduced to the game of polo,” Laka said.
He said the facility was open to the general public, adding that all interested persons must be duly registered with the club.
Farouk Aliyu, a polo enthusiast, said he was impressed with the infrastructural development at the polo club.
“I’m excited. What I have seen is beautiful.
“Incidentally, last week I watched a World Polo Tournament in Argentina for the first time, and what I saw there is not different from what I see here.
“So, kudos to the Nigerian Army and all the members here.
“We’ll keep supporting them to ensure that this place becomes one of the best places in the world,” Aliyu said.
Nasiru Danu, Member, NAPA Board of Trustees/Chairman, Nigerian Army Polo Resort, said the club house would be run and maintained according to world-class standards.
“What we are witnessing here today is a new partnership with Solon; a group that is also in partnership with the British Council.
“They also operate in Monaco and the UK.
“They manage about five other different lounges in the country, and the whole idea is to see how we can partner with the private sector to rebuild the Nigerian army polo,” he said
Danu noted that the Nigerian Army was the number one club in the country with over 350 Argentine horses in its stables.
He said the quality of the pitch and the ongoing National Carnival Polo Tournament was top-notch and of world standard.
“Of course, you can see the tournament and the level of the competition.
“By Sunday, I assure you, you will be happy to see the final.
“So, congrats to the Nigerian Army and the Guards Brigade members,” he said.
Hassan Gashash, the PRO of Jos Polo Club and Chairman of Nigerian Polo Commentators, said that the Guards Polo Club was leading the way in terms of grassroots development of the sport in the country.
Gashash noted that of all the polo clubs in Nigeria, the Guards Polo Club probably has the largest number of junior members.
He stressed that the only way the future of the sport could be guaranteed was by ensuring that the young ones are developed.
“Abuja has bred a lot of young talents, ranging from the ages of 12 to 15.
“There are about four boys that I have seen here in Abuja that tells me that Abuja has a great future in polo, especially Guards Polo Club.
“Also, with the coming in of the equestrian riding school, you are assured that in the next few years, Abuja will lead the way.
“Poroto Cambiaso is just a teenager, and he is leading the world of polo now. We have the likes of Sa’ad M.S. Aliyu here; we have Al-Ameen Bayero here. We also have the lady player Hadiza Shehu here.
“In fact, polo is growing fast in Abuja and I can assure you that if you come to this place in the next five years, you will see lots of grassroots graduates coming in,” he said.
NAN reports that the Carnival Polo Tournament, which galloped off at the Nigerian Army Polo Resort/Guards Polo Club on Dec. 9 is expected to end with the grand finale on Sunday. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
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Edited by Joseph Edeh
