The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya on Friday 2nd June 2023 commissioned the newly constructed Headquarters Nigerian Army Polo Association (NAPA) and stables in Maitama, Abuja.
This according to Director Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu is to promote sporting activities in the Nigerian Army (NA).
Speaking at the occasion, the Army Chief extolled the Army Polo Team as one of the best in the country, stating that the Nigerian Army will continue to support NAPA and other sporting activities by improving on existing facilities and developing new sporting infrastructures.
He pointed out that the Polo game is significant to the Nigerian Army as it enables personnel with the requisite skills necessary for the conduct of some special operations and during ceremonial parades.
The Army Chief further commended the management team and other partners of the Polo Association for their commitment in efficiently managing the club, urging them to sustain the standard.
General Yahaya also emphasized the need to positively project the club within and outside the shores of the country through active participation in both local and international Polo tournaments, as well as engaging the services of experts to enhance efficiency.
‘Unwavering support
The Chairman of the Nigerian Army Polo Association, NAPA, Brigadier General Adamu Laka, on behalf of the management team, expressed appreciation to the COAS for his unwavering support to the club. He noted that with the support received from the Chief, the club now has the capacity to host the National Army Polo games, which was hitherto hosted twice outside the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Shedding light on the future activities of the association, the Secretary of the Guards Polo Club Aliyu Umar disclosed that the association is looking forward to hosting the Commander-In-Chief and International Army games.
It could be recalled that NAPA had excelled in several local and international tournaments, playing against highly rated and skilled opponents such as France, Portugal, Egypt and Morocco. The Army Polo Club showcased its outstanding performance at the recent King Mohammed V International Polo Tournament in Morocco.
In expressing the club’s commitment to promoting polo, the association recently presented the Jos Polo President’s Cup 2022 and FCT Minister’s Cup 2023 to the COAS, when they paid a visit to the Army Headquarters.
Highlights of the event were a tour of the facilities at the Army Polo Resort and the presentation of a horse and a pair of Polo Boots to the COAS.
Emmanuel Ukoh
