The management of Kaduna Polo club has canceled the ongoing tournament as a mark of respect to the sudden death of its patron Late Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa and some prominent Nigerians who crashed in a helicopter in Bayelsa State on Saturday.

In a statement signed by the acting president of the club Mohammed Babangida, the management and entire members of the club stated that they received news with great shock.

"As a mark of respect for his unalloyed support to the Kaduna Polo Club dating back to his days as the Deputy Governor, we hereby announced the cancelation of the ongoing Kaduna International 2012 Polo Tournament. As our esteem patron, Governor Yakowa was expected as the chief host at the grand finale of the tournament that has President Goodluck Jonathan as Special Guest of Honour. His untimely death is as painful as it was unexpected".

This year, the Kaduna Polo Tournament did not hold in its traditional month of November due to the sudden death of its Life President Hassan Hadeja who died in his Kaduna residence.