NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 7 – As he steps down from his position as chair of Nairobi Polo Club, Raphael Nzomo says he can look back to his tenure with pride considering the progress he has midwifed in taking the game forward.
He cites last September’s friendlies against Brazil as one of the highlights of his reign at East Africa’s oldest polo club, during which the South Americans made mince meat of their hosts.
However, Nzomo considers the visit as an eye-opener that provided Kenya with vital lessons on how to better polo standards in the country.
“The highlight of this season was the international (10-goal tournament) in which we invited Brazil. They sent a 10-goal team to compete against three 10-goal Kenyan teams and it was a great experience for Kenya to play against Brazil who are dominant in the game of polo. It helped us improve our game,” Nzomo says.
He adds: “We got beaten by them everyday. I mean…they were merciless. That was a good experience and it has made polo in Kenya improve. That was the highlight of my chairmanship.”
As he hands over the reins of leadership, Nzomo is confident that sky is the limit for Nairobi Polo Club and the sport in general, noting that the foundations are in place to achieve more success on the local and international scene.
“We just need to build on our successes. We are doing very well as a club and I’d like to see the incoming chair improve on what we’ve done and make the season much better than we’ve had,” he explains.
Rise of beginners
Another source of pride for Nzomo is the growth of beginners who have benefitted immensely from being teamed up with their experienced counterparts from who they have learnt the art and craft of the game.
“We try to have these tournaments to encourage beginners who have never really had tournament experience. We make up teams where we have more experienced players and put in a beginner and they get the experience of polo,” he says.
Nzomo cites the likes of Bobby Kamani, Kelvin Jumba and lately, Michelle Morgan, as examples of beginners who have grown in leaps and bounds thanks to this strategy of pairing them with experienced players.
“If you managed to watch the January tournaments, you will see how Bobby has played. He is becoming a very good player. You can see how Kelvin is getting stuck in and is becoming a very good player as well,” Nzomo says.
He adds: “And now we have a new player in Michelle Morgan. When she started, at the start of January, she was really shy…she couldn’t really play and now she is a completely different player, which means that what we are doing is working. They are getting encouraged, more bold because this is a fast and dangerous game. The January tournaments are a testament that when we give them the opportunity, they learn how to play much quicker.”
Life as an emeritus
As the chair emeritus, Nzomo says this will be an opportunity for him to sharpen his skills in polo – something he was previously unable to do due to the busy nature of his position.
“What happens as an official is that most of the time you are away from the polo ground. You know…fundraising and having media pressers like this. It takes away from your polo time and ability to practice and improve. I can assure you that next year, you come for the January tournaments, I will win all of them,” he says.
In his last match, Nzomo was part of a victorious Radio Africa, which won the season-ending Chairman’s Cup after defeating Tusker Malt 8-7 in a pulsating final at the Nairobi Polo Club.
Nzomo says he was delighted to host the tournament.
The Nairobi Polo Club was established in 1907 and consists of two full-size pitches and a clubhouse.
