TheCable

The first stage of the ongoing Access Bank UNICEF Charity Shield international polo tournament has ended with outsiders Fifth Chukker upstaging favourite and former winner Tila Farms to win the prestigious Usman Dantata Cup.

The Adamu Atta-powered Chukker, initially overlooked by bookmakers before the race galloped off, jumped into the lead from the starting bell, winning two steam games in a round robin format that pitched four ambitious teams.

Watched by a capacity crowd that included the Lamido Adamawa, UNICEF officials, National Assembly members, business tycoons and thousands of polo enthusiasts, Fifth Chukker opened with a spark, scoring two quick goals through Andrea Crespo who pivoted the team to a 8-41/2 victory.

Tila responded strongly in the second chukkas through Tijani Ahmed, Altaf Suleiman and Rabiu Mohammed, but their efforts came too late as the quartet of Bashir Aliyu, Murtala Aliyu, Crespo and team skipper Farouk Dangiwa held tight to run out first ever champions of the maiden Usman Dantata Cup.

“This is unbelievable. As late comers nobody gave us a chance, but by sheer determination and the overwhelming support of our fans, we made it to the final and produced a stunning performance that overhauled the favourties and secured us the glittering cup,” Fifth Chukker Captain, Farouk Dangiwa, said.

Dangiwa who was voted the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the first stage of the charity event, commended Access Bank for sponsoring the Shield and dedicated the title to the orphans and less privileged children across the country.

The second stage of the international polo tournament has commenced, with Lagos-based STL team leading the the race for the Access Bank Cup.

STL, parading team patron Seyi Tinubu, Abdulrahman Mohammed, Tom Lebrum and Leurue Hendriks, lost marginally 6-61/2 to homers Team Kangimi in their second game, but still managed to stay top, thanks to their thumping 10-61/2 defeat of Jos Malcomines in the opening game.

Campaigns for the UNICEF Cup and the event’s biggest prize Charity Shield peaked on Wednesday with three championship matches billed to thrill fans and supporters who set aside the June12 holiday to raise more awareness for the plight of vulnerable children across the country.

The partnership has strengthened for over a decade from which many projects have benefited. A remodeled primary school and rural water projects funded by the Access Bank UNICEF Charity Shield tournament were commissioned recently.

The Charity Shield began in 2003 as platform to support local charity organizations in Kaduna. But the humanitarian effort has been geared exclusively towards UNICEF intervention projects for orphans and vulnerable children in Kaduna State.

In 2008, the Charity Shield received a major boost when Access Bank agreed to a multi-year sponsorship deal, making the tournament one of the best-supported charity events in the history of Nigerian sport.