Nigeria secured the third-place position at the 2024 Chovken World Championship in Baku, Azerbaijan. In the finals, Nigeria drew 1:1 with Uzbekistan, earning the Bronze trophy based on cumulative points from previous matches.
According to the Media Assistant to Vice President for the African Region Mr -Joesef Karim, This is the first time Nigeria participated in any global Chovken – an ancient equestrian sport similar to Polo. In Team Nigeria’s build-up to the finals, Nigeria beat Germany 5:0; beat Poland 4:1; and lost against Morocco 4:1.
The World Chovken Championship was held from 10th to 16th of June 2024. And, 10 countries participated including the host Azerbaijan, Turkey, Malta, Kuwait, Morocco, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Poland, Germany and Nigeria.
The ancient sport of Chovken is a team sport similar to the more popular Polo. It is played by horse riders with sticks competing to hit a small ball into a goal post. One match consists of two halves, each lasting 15 minutes of effective play time.
The team Nigeria players are Yusuf Bello, Shehu Kangiwa, Mukhtar Adhama and Abdulmalik Badamasi. The Nigerian team was led by Nura Sani Kangiwa, the patron of NSK Polo team and Resort. Kangiwa is the Chairman, African Region, of the International Chovken Federation. He is also the President of Nigeria Polo Federation.