Leighton Kings Retain Majekodunmi, Independence Titles
*Art Hotel Shoreline win Italian Ambassador’s Cup
The month long 2024 GTCO Lagos International polo last weekend added another batch of champions with Leighton Kings emerging the biggest winners with another successful defence of the event’s most wanted crown, the Majekodunmi Cup.
The Eko polo kings who have won the prize many times in the past, defeated the hard-fighting Art Hotel Shoreline 10-9 in a gusty final with the winning goal coming off a penalty in the last second of the explosive six chukkas encounter. The Bowale Jolaoso powered Kings also added the Independence Cup to their haul this year.
“It’s unbelievable! I couldn’t describe the first time we won so I don’t know how to put this one into words,” Jolaoso, Patron of Leighton Kings declared shortly after the tense final match.
“It could have gone either way after they (Art Hotel Shoreline) drew level late in the last chukka, but luck tilted it in our favour,” he added.
The patron of the Majekodunmi Cup champion thanked his teammates for their commitment and dedicated the prize to their teeming supporters for cheering the team all the way to yet another victory.
Art Hotel Shoreline who finished runners-up in the Majekodunmi Cup and the Independence Cup respectively, had earlier in the week dispatched visiting Abuja Rubicon team to lift the glittering Italian Ambassador’s Cup. That feat earned them the second best performing Lagos-based high-goal team of the 120th edition of the international polo festival.
Other big winners of the second week of the glamorous polo fiesta include; Seyi Oyinlola who led Mayowa Ogunnusi, Laolu Agoro, Timi Badiru and Baba Dantata in Team Lagos 1974 colours to brush aside Team Lagos 2010 to clinch the coveted Governor’s Cup,
Team Lagos 1904 boasting youngsters like Tayo Ojora, Adebayo Karim, Osaro Omoruyi and Mohammed Dangote were the other top flyers of the second week, sailing past their Team Lagos 1962 opponents to win the Lagos Heritage Cup played to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the State of Aquatic Splendor.
For another year running, the prestigious festival hosted a renowned and faithful collection of sponsors with GTCO leading others like Arbico, Vueve Clicquot, ChapelHill Denham, BUA, Metro Capital, MTN, among others.
The fourth and final week of the annual fiesta which this year is celebrating 120 years of playing polo in Lagos, will see a crowd of equally matched low-goal teams slugging it out for the Silver Cup between February 13 and 18, 2024.
