England, Argentina, Mexico, and Iran have confirmed their participation in the 2026 International Polo tournament scheduled to be held in January in Port Harcourt, Rivers.

Henry Agbodjan, president of the Port Harcourt Polo Club, said this on Friday during a news conference in Port Harcourt.

Agbodjan said the championship, scheduled for January 11 to 17, is expected to feature no fewer than 100 players from Nigeria, Europe, Asia, and South America, among other regions.

He said the tournament, with the theme ‘United by the Game,’ aims to deepen unity and inclusiveness among the participating countries.

“Trophies to be won include the Rowland Cookey-Gam, King Alfred Diete-Spiff, King T.J.T. Princewill, T.Y. Danjuma, Armed Forces Remembrance, and President and Governor’s Cups.

“Players will also compete for a special memorial cup in honour of the late former president of the Port Harcourt Polo Club, Rowland Cookey-Gam,” he said.

According to Agbodjan, the theme of this year’s tournament underscores unity, equity, inclusiveness, and diversity through the sport.

He added that this year’s competition would also be used to highlight the significant contributions of Mr Cookey-Gam, who died 20 years ago in an ill-fated plane crash.

“The late sports icon championed the game of polo both within the country and globally.

“We hope that this competition will produce great polo players from Port Harcourt and the Niger Delta, who will compete against the best in Nigeria and across the world,” Agbodjan remarked.

The club president expressed appreciation to the Rivers government, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), and other sponsors of the tournament for their support.

He assured that adequate security measures would be put in place for the event to ensure that players and fans enjoy their stay in Port Harcourt.

“We have also provided entertainment shows featuring local and national artistes to ensure that both players and fans enjoy themselves,” he added.

Captain of the Port Harcourt Polo Club, Ikenna Nebolisa, expressed confidence in his team’s preparedness to compete.

He noted that local players were drawn from states such as Edo, Lagos, Plateau, Kaduna, Kano, and Katsina.

(NAN)