The Chairman of the African Region of the International Chovken Federation (ICF), Nura Kangiwa, has announced that Nigeria will host the 2025 edition of the Chovken African Regional Championship.
Kangiwa made the disclosure in a statement issued by his media assistant, Joesef Karim, on Thursday in Abuja. He revealed the development during a courtesy visit by the executive members of the Nigeria Chovken Association to the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko.
Chovken is a dynamic and accessible equestrian team sport with historical roots, bearing a close resemblance to polo. It is played by two teams of four horse riders each, who aim to score by driving a small leather ball into the opponent’s goal using curved wooden mallets. A standard match is made up of two 15-minute halves.
The sport recently gained global recognition when it was added to UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
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Kangiwa assured that the 2025 championship in Nigeria would attract elite Chovken teams from across the continent, including Egypt, Morocco, and Kenya, among other leading African nations.
He added that hosting the tournament would not only generate international attention for Nigeria but also enhance local engagement and investment in equestrian sports.
Nigeria placed third at the inaugural International Chovken Championship held in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 2024. The competition featured teams from ten countries, including Azerbaijan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Kuwait, Poland, Germany, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Malta, and Nigeria.
