Abuja — The annual Jos Polo Tournament, scheduled to hold from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1 in Jos, has been shelved apparently because of the recent violence in the city.

A visit to the Hassan Usman Katsina Polo Ground on Friday revealed no sign that the tournament would take place.

The stables to house the horses, usually erected some days to the tourney in the past, were absent.

On October 10, the tournament manager, Mohammed Bello, told new-smen that the tournament would hold from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1.

Bello, while unveiling the activities lined up for the tournament, said the executive committee of the event was constituted at an annual general meeting of the body.

He said more than N16 million was required to host the tournament.

Efforts to find out reasons for the non-event at the clubhouse proved abortive as there were no officials there.

The Jos Polo Tournament which holds every December usually closes the season for the calendar of the Nigerian Polo Association.

It is usually attended by many teams from across the nation.

Feelers, however are that the shelving of the tournament might not be unconnected with the crisis that engulfed Jos and for which reason many sponsors either backed out or did not respond favourably.

The competition had, at various times, been sponsored by MTN, Shell, Plateau State government and IMANI, among others.