Abuja – Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday urged members of the Twelve-Twelve Polo and Turf Club, Abuja, to make polo, horse-racing and other equestrian sports open and available to young people.
Osinbajo made the call while receiving a delegation led by Chairman the Club’s Advisory Board Malam Murtala Aliyu.
He this was to ensure that those who otherwise might not be able to afford playing in such expensive games could afford it.
Osinbajo appreciated the visit and commended the efforts to set up such a club in the Federal Capital Territory.
“There would be many who can benefit from this sport, young people in colleges who might become great polo players, but won’t be able to afford it”, the VP said.
Aliyu said that intention of the visit was to bring the attention of government to the existence of polo facility in Gwarimpa, Abuja.
He said the facility was one of the best in West Africa and offered opportunities for young players to use as well as for government to utilize it to open up the country to the outside world.
The chairman said polo was not an elitist game as touted adding that anyone who had the talent, irrespective of background, could be picked to play.
According to him, the initial exposure to the game is to watch children ride horses especially in some parts of the country where horse riding is a culture.
He said there was need for collaboration between such cultures and the existing polo clubs nationwide to catch them young.
“We want to make it an investment attractive thing and we are not going to make it available only for the elite.
“We are going to open it in such a way that Nigeria will be on the equestrian map and also be in the world equestrian calendar.
“We are going to make sure that it is affordable and people from backgrounds that are not endowed materially can afford to participate in the game’’, he said.
Aliyu added that the club had a horse that it wanted the vice president to name which would be participating in horse racing.
He added that the club intended to train the horse well to be winning tournaments.
He added that the club was an opportunity for the youth to be gainfully employed through polo. (NAN)
