By Terfa Alaghga
The captain of Makurdi Polo Club, Williams Suswam has lauded the pronouncement by the governor of Benue state, Samuel Ortom that he would sponsor a polo competition in Makurdi.
Suswam stated this in a chat with The Voicesports recently, in Makurdi, adding that the governor made his position known when EXCO members of the club who were in his office, to present to him the trophies won at various competitions, at the Benue People’s House Makurdi.
The polo captain who quoted the governor as saying,” he had been watching polo and liked it was care teach time thought of a former governor of Sokoto state, Alhaji Shehu Kangiwa who fell off the horse and this resulted to his death in 1981. But when the exco educated him to a certain level, he became convinced and made the pronouncement but until they met with him again, they were yet to ascertain in which of either the Higher or Lower Goals or both Goals (categories) and date that the fiesta would be hosted in the state.
He said polo was a game of the elites but because of the lean resources in this part of the country, they were poised to bringing down the game to a level that would accommodate the common man or possibly give a soft landing to those who do not have the wherewithal but had the interest in the game such that even if they did not own a horse, they could come and key into the system.
According to him,” we can encourage you to any level but only those who were fit because it was a stressful game as riding a horse is another thing while playing too is entirely another “. He submitted that they hoped to do their best in the ongoing Keffi polo tournament, in Nasarawa state.