The 2018 Abuja Unity tournament on Tuesday got off to a flying start as YBL Farms, ASI and Kaduna Tila all recorded wins on the opening day.
The tournament which galloped off on Tuesday at the Guards Polo Club, Abuja is expected to climax with the closing ceremony on Sunday.
The star match of the day was the battle for honours in the Legislative Shield which saw YBL Farms clashing with Alhusna Travels in a 9 1/2 goal thriller.
YBL Farms led by its patron, Lt. Col. Yusuf Bello (0) paraded the likes of Abdulmalik Badamasi (+3), Abubakar Aliyu (+1) and Tony Isodje.
Alhusna Travels on the other hand was led by SP Usman Machika (0) and had the likes of Lado Aliyu (+2), Mukhtar Adhama (+1) and Aliyu Umar (0) in its rank.
Alhusna Travels were handed a half goal advantage by the umpire to level the team’s handicap difference before the start of the game.
They were quickly on the front foot as they extended their lead to 1 1/2 to 0 at the end of the first chukka through Adhama from a superbly taken 60-yard strike.
However, it was YBL Farms which showed their superiority in the second chukka scoring three unreplied goals with Badamasi grabbing his brace, while Bello and Isodje scored a goal each to make it 4 to 1 1/2.
YBL Farms continued to dominate proceedings in the third chukka and added a fifth goal through their top striker, Badamasi as he grabbed a well deserved hat trick for a 5 to 1 1/2 goal scoreline.
Alhusna Travels tried to claw their way back in the fourth and last chukka as they also scored a total of three unreplied goals through Umar, Machika and Aliyu but it wasn’t enough as YBL Farms held on to win 5 to 4 1/2.
In other matches also played on Tuesday, ASI whitewashed Tati Farms 7 1/2 to 2, while Dogonyaro Farms were hammered 1 1/2 to 9 by Kaduna Tila in the Guards Challenge Stream 1 and 2 respectively.
The Chairman of the Guards Polo Club, Amb. Sani Saulawa Bala told newsmen that the main aim for the Polo Unity tournament was to celebrate the country’s continued peaceful democratic co-existence as a nation over the years.
"The tournament was conceived as part of activities to mark Nigeria’s Democracy Day which is always celebrated on May 29th.
"This year’s tournament promises to be the best ever as we have already began to feel the intensity from day one," he said.
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