THE big clubs in Nigerian polo will troop out to the foremost Ribadu Road theatre in the highbrow Ikoyi neighborhood for what promises to be one of the most memorable Easter Holidays in decades, as the Easter Cup Polo tournament takes centre stage this weekend.The inaugural Easter event, which is coming up on the heels of the hugely successful Lagos 2011 International Polo Tournament that saw homeboys sweep the high stakes, is billed to gallop off with pomp tomorrow and climax with fanfare on Easter Sunday.As the latest addition to the growing list of exclusive events hosted by high profile Lagos Polo Club, the Easter fiesta has attracted an exciting mix of 24 Lagos-based players, comprising most of the Lagos big boys, polo legends and ambitious new comers.Six equally matched clubs gunning for the Easter Cup will match up in exciting polo battles to decide the overall champion of the grand event. Some of the high-goal players expected to display their awesome skills at the event include Habeeb Fashinro and the Lagos Polo President, Dolapo Akinrele, who would lead the Easter Palms team campaign.Other big names listed for action are Ayo Olashoju, Musty Fashinro, Muyiwa Sonubi, Damian Duncan, Sahabi Tukur, Rotimi Makanjuola, Osaro Giwa-Osagie, PMC scribe, Bode Makanjuola, Obafemi Otudeko and Olayinka Alakija. The list also includes Ahmadu Umar, Adeyemo Alakija, Glory Mbano, Mumuni Musa, Kwame, Aire Esiri, Funsho George and Mayowa Ogunnusi, among others.Makanjuola, who is also the grounds member, disclosed that the Easter Cup, which is exclusive to playing members of the Lagos Polo Club, would be organised in a similar format like the President, Captains and Santa Cups. Apart from the Easter Cup, which is the biggest prize on offer, other subsidiary Cups include the Churchward Plate and the Owen Cup.He stated that the 24 players that met the deadline would be drawn into two leagues of three teams each, each team playing one league game and one game across leagues. Easter Eggs is billed to take on Easter Bunnies in the opening game of the tournament tomorrow, just as Easter Palms and Easter Pretzels would square up in the second game of the day. The last game slated for tomorrow will see Easter Bonnets lock horns with Easter Tulips.Easter Palms would take on Easter Bonnets in the first game of the weekend. Other matches billed for weekend include the Easter Eggs versus Easter Pretzels clash and the confrontation between Easter Bunnies and Easter Tulips. The grand finale is billed for Sunday, when the first and second place winners would contest for the main prize, Easter Cup.The final would be preceded by two subsidiary finals, where the third and fourth place teams, as well as fifth and sixth place finishers would jostle for the Churchward Plate and Owens Cup respectively.
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