Damian Duncan’s and Musty Fashinro’s Linetrale Delaney made history at Fifth Chukker to win the 2011 African Patrons Cup for the second year in a row, with a nail-biting 9-8 victory over Adamu Atta’s AMG.  Having previously seen off the strength of Diego White’s Fifth Chukker and YY Deebee – featuring South African 6-goaler Gareth Evans and Nigeria’s Dawule Buba – Linetrale Delaney triumphed over the great Argentine 7-goal player Manuel Crespo and the extremely talented Patricio Caesar.  The tournament consisted of seven teams with players coming from as far as Argentina and South Africa.

Going into extra time, the match – which was ultimately decided by a beautifully executed penalty from Marcelo Pascual – was being talked about as one of the most in exciting finals of the African Patrons Cup.  With the game hanging in the balance until the final penalty, it was played with two fully committed teams playing fast, thrilling polo.

The immaculate organisation and superior horsepower of Linetrale Delany – named after Duncan’s and Fashinro’s respective companies – shone through as they continually broke down AMG’s defence and shot accurately at goal.  Pascual, a 6-goaler who runs his own polo resort and clinic in his native Argentina, proved to be Linetrale Delaney’s secret weapon as he slotted penalty after penalty with ease.  The experienced player, and regular visitor to Nigeria, held his nerve to score the winning goal.  And to top it off, Correntina, Pascual’s horse sold to Duncan, was awarded Best Playing Pony by Senator Ahmed Markarfi (former Govenor of Kaduna State).  Pascual’s aggression and agility was perfectly balanced by his brother-in-law teammate Frankie Menendez, named Most Valuable Player.  Menendez’s power and unbelievably fast reactions saved many goals and held the Linetrale Delaney team together.  He proved to be a tough player and fully justified his Most Valuable Player award.  Not wanting to be outdone by their Argentine professionals, Nigerian based Duncan and Fashinro both pulled their weight in the team and showed they were not afraid to mix with the likes of Crespo and Caesar, Duncan displayed pinpoint accuracy whilst Fashinro was energetic in defence.  Duncan and Fashinro marked their opposing players well and contributed well to the battled to victory.

A delighted Pascual said of his second African Patrons Cup victory: “It is never easy in Nigeria, but we played a good game and the horses were fantastic.  The polo here has grown a lot, they have improved the fields and the horses so the polo is now safer and nicer to play”.  MVP Menendez added to that: “The game was hard to play, it was tactical and we had to fight hard at the end.  We had luck on our side and the game could have gone either way”.

AMG were gracious in defeat and had to contend themselves with second place, but they should be praised for their gallant come back in the final chukka and the fight they put up throughout the match.  At times during the final AMG looked like they could walk away with the trophy.  Crespo scored consistent penalties and despite losing, his reputation has stayed in tact, while Caesar showed dazzling speed in attack sending weighted long passes to Atta and Mohammed to convert.  On both teams the four Nigerian players proved that they are more than capable of competing on the international polo stage.  Chairman of the HPA, Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers said after the game: “It was very exciting at the end, and the improvement in ground maintenance, horsecare and organisation is clearly visible.  There is a natural talent in Nigeria which can certainly be realised at an international level”.

Last but by no means least, a worthy mention must go to the many people responsible for the outstanding grounds at Fifth Chukker and the impeccable organisation of the tournament behind the scenes – to name a few Adamu, Babangida, Yusuf, Billy, Ciccio, each incredibly generous patron, and the sponsors Stanbic IBTC.

Pink Polo Day

World Bike Polo Challenge To Support Breast Cancer Awareness

2011 African Patrons Cup Polo Tournament

Kangimi Resort plays host to the first international bicycle polo tournament in Nigeria.  Hardcore bike polo players from London and Paris flew to Kaduna State to showcase the sport to die-hard pony players.

Bike polo has seen a surge in popularity in recent years, with clubs popping up in cities across almost every continent, but it was the first time that it has made an appearance in Africa. Eight hardcore bike polo players and bikes were flown over from the UK and Paris to demonstrate their skills to a crowd of over 2000 local and international spectators at the annual African Patrons Cup at Fifth Chukker Polo Club in Kaduna.

The hardcore bike polo rules were altered slightly so as to closely mimic traditional equestrian polo, the match was played in chukkas and started with the customary ‘throw-in’.  As the commentator revved up the crowds, the players began a high-speed, spirited game.  The players raced up and down the pitch displaying astonishing bike handling skills at the same time as controlling the ball and performing effortless teamwork.

This is far from the conventional image of polo. But Fifth Chukker is not your average polo club. Since 2001, it has transformed a piece of arid pastureland into Nigeria’s leading international sports resort, largely due to its openness to trying new things.

Commenting after the game, Fifth Chukker founder Adamu Atta said: “Bike polo shows that polo is not all about horses.  It is accessible to the masses and I am optimistic that this new activity will be a success in Nigeria”.  On the back of the interest the bike polo generated, the resort is looking to develop its bike polo facilities – the bikes are already owned by the resort and a flat concrete area has been unofficially earmarked – and create further tournaments in 2012 and beyond.

Hard and fast

The sport dates back to 1891, when it was invented by Irish cyclist Richard J. Mecredy.  It became so popular in Britain that it was featured in the 1908 London Olympics as a demonstration sport. Participation declined in the following decades, but in the 1930s it was picked up and established as a national league by English cyclist Cyril S. Scott. This time interest spread to France, and from there, after the Second World War, to India, Canada and the USA.

Today you’re more likely to see cycle polo being played on a basketball court or empty car park than in a field. While the grass version generally follows standard polo rules, this new urban version is much more stripped-back, with fewer rules and more in common with hockey than traditional polo.

Matches start with a ‘joust’ – basically a head-on charge for possession of the ball. Much play is based on ‘shuffling’ (dribbling the ball with the side of the mallet), but goals can only legitimately be scored with a ‘shot’ (using the mallet head). If a player ‘dabs’ (touches the ground, another player or piece of equipment with a foot), he or she must ‘tap out’ by hitting a point in the centre of the court before continuing play.

Contact is limited to ‘like on like’ – body to body, mallet to mallet, bike to bike. The game ends either at a set time limit, usually 15 to 30 minutes, or when one team reaches an agreed number of goals, between three and five.

Less glamour, more grit

Miami Bike Polo founder Eric Madrid describes the game as fast-paced, passionate and ‘somewhat aggressive’.

Madrid also highlights the strong sense of teamwork and collaboration involved in the sport, both on and off the pitch. There’s a real do-it-yourself element, with team members helping each other adapt bikes and make mallets by bolting a piece of plastic piping onto an old ski pole.

‘It’s less glamorous than horse polo’ concedes Raghuvendra Singh Dundlod, who started playing cycle polo in the 1960s and is now president of the Cycle Polo Federation of India, ‘but very exciting.’

Events like the annual World Hardcourt Championship are now starting to attract bigger sponsors, and it seems only a matter of time before bike polo becomes a professional sport. But for now, it’s still a firmly informal affair. Most clubs’ sessions are in public venues and open to anyone – all you need is a bike, helmet and a willingness to get stuck in.

As Oxford Bike Polo member Simon Li says:  ‘Anyone can just turn up and play, and potentially be in a major tournament a few months later.’

Klearpics Photography Limited was commissioned by SKYJET Aviation Services LTD, a subsidiary of Barbedos Group to photograph and produce high quality images that can be used as marketing materials. This project is ongoing and more photographs will appear soon

The other winners: the Greaves Motorsport Zytek Z11SN in LM P2, Pegasus Racing in Formula Le Mans, the no. 51 Ferrari F458 Italia entered by AF Corse in LM GTE Pro, and the no. 67 IMSA Performance Matmut Porsche 997  in LM GTE Am.

The aim is to photograph the construction of the existing buildings, show homes, facilities and the ongoing progress of this exciting new concept of lifestyle living. Klearpics  will provide Trojan Estates with vibrant and marketable shots that can be used online, in print, or at the office to produce high quality marketing materials.

We estimate taking in the region of 3,000 photographs by the time the construction is completed and some of the photographs are already available and can be viewed below.

You can visit http://royalgardenslagos.com/  for more information.

Royal Gardens Estate, Lekki Lagos

Accra PC, Ghana vs Ham Polo Club at the Ham Polo Club, London

England vs Brazil – Cartier’s International Day at Guards Polo Club, Smith’s Lawn, Windsor Great Park

Heritage Polo Cup – qualifier was played at Coworth Park Polo Club and at The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Polo Club.

EFG International – British Army Polo Team

USA

The Hunters Guildford Land Rover Luxembourg Polo Team

STL Nigeria Polo Team

India

South America Polo Team

Since 2006, however, this effort has been exclusively geared towards UNICEF’s intervention projects for orphans and vulnerable children. The event was also so named in honour of then Emir of Katsina and Life president of the Nigerian Polo Association Alh. Muhammadu  Kabir  Usman, whose family has for almost a hundred years remained the custodian of the nations’s rich polo heritage.

Eight years on, the Emir of Katsina Charity Shield has clearly become one of the biggest and most attractive international sporting events in the country, regularly drawing some of the most accomplished players in world, royalty and heavy hitters in politics and industry.

EMIR OF KATSINA CHARITY SHIELD

High Goal Teams and Players

MRS: Sayyu Dantata +4, Bashir Dantata +3, Gaston Moore +6 and Benjamin Uiguiza +4

Titans: Tajudeen Dantata +3, Jamilu Umar +3, Santiago Sanardas +6 and Juan Roman +5

Linetrale Trafigura: Mustapha Fasinro +2, Damian Duncan +1, Marcello Pasquale +6 and Pablo Jauretche +7

Barbedos: Kashim Bukar Shettima +2, Babangida Hassan +4, Diego White +7 and Marcos Rooney +5

Access Bank Fifth Chukker: Adamu Atta +3, Risqua Murtala Muhammed, Julio Astrada +8 and Ezeikel Martinez +7

Fifth Chukker introduced the UNICEF CUP three years ago soon after it adopted the world body as the sole beneficiary of its humanitarian gestures.

Teams: Work to Ride, American University, Deebee Farms and Spartans

The Access Bank Charity Shield was inaugurated by Fifth Chukker Polo and Country Club in 2003 as a fund raising platform to support local charity organisations. Since 2006, however, this effort has been exclusively geared towards UNICEF’s intervention projects for orphans and vulnerable children. The event was also so named in honour of then Emir of Katsina and Life president of the Nigerian Polo Association Alh. Muhammadu  Kabir  Usman, whose family has for almost a hundred years remained the custodian of the nations’s rich polo heritage.

This albums features photographs from the first week of the Polo tournament.

Teams and Cups

ACCESS BANK CUP

SUB Riders, BUA, Kano Dala, NIMCO Oil & Gas, D’Afrik, Talban Minna and Deebee Farms

MUHAMMADU KABIR USMAN CUP

YY Polo, Agad, Titans 2, Tavia Trojan and Keffi Ponies

UNICEF’s mission in Nigeria is to help governments at all levels, organizations, communities and families provide every child with education, health, equality and protection.

Eugene Laverty (Yamaha World Superbike) took his four-cylinder bike to second, with his fellow Yamaha man Marco Melandri third. Aprilia Alitalia rider Max Biaggi was with Melandri in the final few corners but could not work a way past at the flag, taking a fighting fourth place.

Biaggi’s team-mate Leon Camier was fifth, having been in a podium spot for most of the race. John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing Suzuki) was pushed to seventh by the impressive privateer Sylvain Guintoli (Effenbert Liberty-Racing Ducati).

In the championship, Checa has 343 points, Biaggi 281, Melandri 272, and Laverty 208.

The winning car defeated a concerted effort from rivals Peugeot as the last Audi on track after two huge crashes removed its sister cars from contention before midnight on Saturday.

It was a remarkable victory for the team’s new R18, which has run competitively only once before and was the German marque’s 10th win here since 2000, putting it ahead of Ferrari and behind only Porsche in Le Mans victories. But sadly there was to be no fairytale finish for local hero Henri Pescarolo, who’s very entry in the race was remarkable in itself.

Motorsport Photography by Klearpics – Sheyi Afolabi

United Autosports secured its maiden victory in the Avon Tyres British GT Championship following a dramatic two-hour race on the new Snetterton 300 circuit.
Despite two pit lane penalties, Matt Bell brought the #23 Audi R8 LMS to the finish in top spot after long-time leader Glynn Geddie was forced to bring his CRS Racing Ferrari 458 Italia into the pits with just seconds remaining after being shown a black and orange flag for damage to the front of the car.

The two riders who won races at Donington today, Carlos Checa and Marco Melandri, are the two who leave at the head of the championship chase, with Checa now on 91 points and Melandri on 72. In front of 51,500 spectators Superpole winner Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) used his experience to change his rear tyre choice for race two and improve from a third place to be a clear winner, while Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike Team) made two great recoveries from a third row start to post a win and a second place.

Polo Photography by Klearpics

HGL / Shoreline defeated Caverton to cart away the Governor’s Cup

Polo Photography by Klearpics

Team line up for finals weekend:

Team Churchward: Mayowa Ogunnusi -2, Baba Gote 1, Tobi Edun 1 and Adamu Yaro 4
Team Dangote: Hakeem Ashiru 0, Bowale Jolaoso -1, Obafemi Otudeku 1 and Ahmadu Umar 3
Team Amusan: Rotimi Makanjuola 0, Bode Makanjuola 0, Lukman Adebayo 1 and Bashir Dantata Jnr 3
Team Akinkugbe: Yinka Alakija -1 and Damian Duncan 1, Kehinde Soyannwo 2 and Mustapha Fasinro 1