The Nigerian team won Bronze at the 2024 Chovken World Championship held in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Alhaji Nura Sani Kangiwa, patron of the NSK Polo team and Resort, announced this in a statement by Joesef Karim, Media Assistant to the Vice President of the African Region of the International Chovken Federation, on Monday in Abuja.
Kangiwa, who is also the Chairman of the African Region of the International Chovken Federation, stated that Nigeria drew 1-1 with Uzbekistan, securing the Bronze medal based on points from previous matches.
As President of the Nigeria Polo Federation, Kangiwa highlighted that Nigeria’s team emerged as the third-best team at the recently concluded Chovken World Championship.
“This is the first time Nigeria participated in any global Chovken, an ancient equestrian sport similar to Polo. In the build-up to the finals, Nigeria beat Germany 5-0, beat Poland 4-1, and lost to Morocco 4-1,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the World Chovken Championship took place from June 10 to 16, featuring teams from Turkey, Malta, Kuwait, Morocco, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Poland, Germany, Nigeria, and host Azerbaijan.
Chovken is a team sport similar to Polo, played by horse riders using sticks to hit a small ball into a goal post. A match consists of two halves, each lasting 15 minutes of effective playtime.
The Nigerian team included Yusuf Bello, Shehu Kangiwa, Mukhtar Adhama, and Abdulmalik Badamasi, led by Kangiwa.