Lagos STL, Art Hotel, Shoreline Dominate Opening Week of Lagos Int’l Polo

Three proud champions dominated by Lagos-based teams have emerged in the opening week of the 2026 Lagos International Polo Tournament. The foremost polo fiesta has moved to higher gears in the second week the event’ biggest prize, the Majekodunmi Cup on the centre stage.

Lagos Art Hotel, Lagos STL and Lagos Shoreline/ A1 teams swept through the crowded opening week to earn the Chapel Hill Denham Cup, the Adedapo Ojora Cup and the revered Oba of Lagos Cup, respectively.

The Seyi Tinubu-powered STL opened the floodgate of victories for the homers, turning back arch rival, Lagos Shoreline/A1, in a hotly contested final game, to clinch the Adedapo Ojora Cup. STL eased past their opponents 10- 5 in a five chukkas encounter.

STL parading Yasin Amusan, Alfie Hyde, Chris Makenzie and Tayo Ojora, jumped to the driving seat of the final game and remained ahead till the final chukka of the game despite spirited fight back by the quartet of A1/ Shoreline that boosted the likes of Olumide Agboola, Sule Musa, Isa Kwame and Manuel Crespo.

Tayo Ojora who received the trophy named after his father during the Prize Presentation Ceremony was full of praises for his teammates for their commitment throughout the crucial game that gave him the opportunity to win the cup that is very close to his heart and the entire Ojora family for obvious reasons.

A1 Shoreline made up for their slow start in the race for the Dapo Ojora Cup played in memory of the late Captain of the Lagos Polo Club, defeating visiting Wilttten Aviation team from Port Harcourt 8-5 to clinch the traditional Oba of Lagos Cup in a final game watched by a full house that included the full complement of the Lagos Traditional Council from the Oba’s Palace.

The opening week of the biggest polo tournament in Africa ended in a sensational way on Sunday when Art Hotel polo team came from 2-6 goals deficit in the third chukka of the final, to steal a dramatic victory, edging hot favourites, STL 13-12 to clinch their first Chapel Hill Denham Cup title.

Art Hotel team featuring Baba Dantata, Folarin Kuku, Segundo Liorente and Bauti Panelo started the Chapel Hill Denham Cup final on a shaky foot, dropping to a massive four goals mountain to climb with just two chukkas left to play. Next came the duo of Segundo and Panelo who was plying his first tournament in Africa. The duo marshalled Kuku and Dantata to turn an obvious deficit  on its head and gifted the Art Hotel their biggest victory yet, carting home the second most wanted polo prize of Lagos polo tournament.

The prestigious 2026 Lagos international polo tournament that galloped off January 27 in Ikoyi at the foremost Ribadu Road Polo Ground, enters its second week this week with the Majekodunmi Cup revered as the most competitive polo laurel in the continent on offer.

Other glittering high-goal Cups to be won during the second week include the Sani Dangote Cup played in the everlasting memory of the late President of Lagos Polo Club, one of Nigeria’s biggest polo Patrons. The list also includes the newly introduced Argentine Ambassador’s Cup, Owen Cup and the oldest polo laurel in Nigeria, the Independence Cup.