Manuel Crespo: ‘Nigeria has a very bright future in polo’

2016 NPA Lagos International Polo Tournament MVP, Manuel Crespo believes Nigeria has a very bright future in polo.

The 8 handicap player was the highest ranked player in the 11-day two-stage tournament where he spearheaded Fifth Chukker to win the Majekodunmi Cup – regarded as one the biggest prize in polo in Africa – against Ironclad/Trojan on Sunday.

“Nigeria can be one of the strong teams in polo if they continue playing big tournaments like this regularly,” Crespo, who is on his first visit to Nigeria, said through an interpreter.

He added: “I learnt that just last month there saw another tournament in the country (Ibadan) which also featured most of the Nigerian players that played here in Lagos; this shows that

Nigeria can do well in polo at international level. All Nigeria has to do is to keep interest in the game by having regular domestic and international tournaments.”

When told that polo is regarded as the game of kings due to the fact that its expensiveness, he simply replied, “I’m not a king or from a royal family and I don’t think any of the other seven players (that played in the final) is a king. Everybody can play polo.”

Crespo scored an astonishing 13 goals in Fifth Chukker’s 15-7 win over Ironclad to clinch the prestigious Majek Cup.

He is one of the array of Argentine talents that has consistently light up the Lagos International Polo.

Argentina is the undisputed reserve of talents for polo as no county in the wolrd has so much success and so many records in the game.

From 1913, only 40 players – all Argentines – have the highest handicap: 10. Presently, there are only 10 players of such rating and all are Argentines while 16 players have 9 handicap all of whom are also Argentines.