The cosmopolitan city of Kaduna is upbeat for a big polo splash as the management of Kaduna Polo Club announced a decision to honour the time-tested legacies of one of its own and Nigeria's polo icons, Dawule Baba from June11-14, 2026.
The prestigious polo fiesta which is in its second edition is scheduled to splash off with fanfare at the foremost Murtala Mohammed Square with participating teams and players expected across the country and beyond.
Our checks at the Ahmadu Yakubu Club House at the Murtala Square reveals that the decision stage of the event that was taken last week after the meeting of the Polo Management Committee of the club, has received the all go ahead approval of the Kaduna Polo Club Management Committee.
Already, all the tournament committees have been activated ahead of the much-anticipated event that would take center stage shortly after the 2026 Ibadan polo tournament and the 2026 Access Bank UNICEF Charity Shield international in May and early June respectively.
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Kaduna Polo Club First Vice President, Brigadier General Kapeh Kazir (Rtd.) who had earlier confirmed the decision of the club to celebrate the legacies of the Dawule Baba fondly called (The Teacher), disclosed that the Dawule Baba has already been institutionalized as one of the annual polo tournaments in Kaduna.
Before the Kaduna polo showpiece however the Dauwle Baba memorial that has gone international with Argentina since last year at the La Dolfina Polo Ranch, will move to South Africa a Nigerian team taking on their Ghanaian counterparts from April 29 to May 3, 2026.
Promoted and hosted by Harold Awuah-Darku, a close friend of Dawule and a polo patron from Ghana to honour the "The Great Teacher" and celebrate his impactful glacises across the African continent, will sees Dawule's children, Abba Dawule and his elder brother, Baba Dawule (Jnr.) alongside Lado Aliyu and Ahmed Sodangi taking on teams comprising Ghanaian and South African players at Plettenberg Bay, South Africa.
The Dawule Baba Memorial Polo Tournament which debuted last year saw the DeeBee Polo team win the biggest prize, Dawule Baba Cup, was highlighted with the renaming of its main ground by Kaduna Polo Club to "Dawule Baba Polo Ground" to honour his immense contributions.
Other major winners of the inaugural edition include the SKK team (El-Amin Cup) and Askira team (Annadariya Cup). Many individual and corporate organizations like Clearwater Polo Farm dedicated their 2025 Access Bank Cup victory to the "Great Teacher," highlighting his mentorship and influence on the game.
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"This victory is dedicated to the late "Great TEACHER", Dawule Baba. Beyond our vision and mission, he inspired the spirit of the team" declared Clearwater polo Chairman, General Kapeh Kazir shortly after lifting the cup at the presentation ceremonies last Sunday in Kaduna.
"He was directly involved in the composition of the team prior to his falling ill. He was always available to give his counsel when consulted. He would even call in to advise on what he would have observed even without prompting. His spirit lives in the Clearwater Polo Team," he continued.
All through 2025, polo tournaments across Nigeria, including the Access Bank UNICEF Charity Shield and events in Kano, Jos, Abuja, Minna, and others featured tributes to the late legend, who passed away in May 2025.
