Alhaji Nura Kangiwa, Chairman of the African Region of the International Chovken Federation (ICF), has announced that Nigeria will host the 2025 Chovken African Regional Championship.
Kangiwa made the announcement in a statement signed by his media assistant, Joesef Karim, in Abuja on Thursday.
He revealed the development during a visit by the executive members of the Nigeria Chovken Association to the Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Alhaji Shehu Dikko.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that Chovken is an exciting and accessible equestrian team sport with historical roots and a strong resemblance to the more widely known game of polo.
The sport features two teams of four horse riders who aim to score goals by driving a small leather ball into the opponent’s goal using curved wooden mallets.
A standard Chovken match consists of two 15-minute halves.
Recently, UNESCO added Chovken to its prestigious list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Kangiwa assured that top Chovken teams from across Africa, including Egypt, Morocco, Kenya, and other leading nations, would participate in the championship in Nigeria.
He emphasised that hosting the tournament would not only generate significant international publicity for the country but also boost public interest in Nigerian equestrian sports.
NAN recalls that Nigeria finished third at the maiden International Chovken Championship held in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 2024.
The tournament featured teams from 10 countries, including Azerbaijan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Kuwait, Poland, Germany, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Malta, and Nigeria. (NAN)
