Leighton Kings, Art Hotel Win Big in First Week of Thrilling Polo Fest

The opening week of the 2023 NPA/GTCO Lagos International Polo Tournament came to a befitting climax with Lagos-based teams sweeping all the three prizes at stake, sending a strong signal to the visiting teams as the prestigious polo festival enters its second week today.

Lagos Leighton Kings defeated arch rivals, Trojan/Ark 8-2 in a fierce final to retain the Open Cup they won last year. 

Debutants Art Hotel team wrote their names in gold, overwhelming their Dangote/ Sublime opponents 9-7 in a closely fought final to win their first ever Oba of Lagos Cup.

Earlier, the Bowale Jolaoso-powered Leighton Kings parading Muyiwa Oni, Facundo Ratamar and Nico Recaife had set the pace for a repeat of their four titles haul with an emphatic 12-41/2 victory against visiting Wiltten Aviation team to clinch the Adedapo Ojora Cup played in memory of a former Captain of the foremost Lagos Polo  Club.

On Sunday, the same squad was back in action, outpacing Trojan/Ark boasting Kayode Awogboro, Kunle Tinubu, Santi Marambio and Lorenzo Larumba in a tense final to successfully defend their Open Cup title  they have won a record four times.

 The Open Cup  final witnessed by a capacity crowd that included  royalties, top business tycoons, diplomats and thousands of polo buffs,  saw Leighton jumped to front leading 4-0 in the first chukka with  Jolaoso, Oni, Ratamar and Recaife all contributing goals to another  Open Cup warfare victory.

Tinubu and Awogboro powered Trojan/ Ark had gone to the final game hoping to shock the defending champions, but their poor marksmanship and lack of horse power were their biggest undoing as they could not match the firepower of the Kings who are still in the hunt for the event’s biggest prize, the Majekodunmi Cup.

Unlike the low flying Trojan/ Ark, Lagos Art Hotel lining up the only female professional in the tournament, Neku Edun, Yashin Amusan who stood in for injured Sadiq Dantata, J.J. De Alba and Genaro Ringa were quick and purposeful as they fought Dangote/ Sublime to the ground to earn the Oba of Lagos Cup crown.

The 2023 NPA/ GTCO international polo festival that galloped off in grand style last week moves to higher gears today as three teams including title holder Lintex-Intercontra, former champions, Leighton Kings and the ambitious NexGen debutants battle  for the event’s biggest prize, the Majekodunmi Cup.

Tournament Manager, Mayowa Ogunnusi confirmed that Leighton Kings and NexGen team are billed to clash in the opening game of the Majekodunmi Cup series .Two subsidiary prizes, the Independence Cup and the Italian Ambassador’s Cup are also on offer in this second week to that would climax on Sunday.

For another year running, the prestigious festival  host a renowned and faithful collection of sponsors including; GTCO leading others like Arbico, Vueve Clicquot, ChapelHill Denem, BUA, Metro Capital,  MTN,  among others.