NIGERIA: Uneku Saliu-Atawodi is among the world's first active black female professional polo players. The 24-year-old Nigerian started her career in the sport ten years ago, has played professionally in over 14 countries

Record ID: 235997

  • Title: NIGERIA: Uneku Saliu-Atawodi is among the world's first active black female professional polo players. The 24-year-old Nigerian started her career in the sport ten years ago, has played professionally in over 14 countries
  • Date: 11th March 2013
  • Summary: ABUJA, NIGERIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF UNEKU ATAWODI, POLO PLAYER, RIDING AND PLAYING POLO (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNEKU ATAWODI, POLO PLAYER, SAYING: "My aim now is really to bring polo to the masses you know, to bring polo to a more world audience, for people to not just think it's a sport that is you know only for rich people and you know people just go out... it's actually... it's a connection with horse and man, it's you know, it teaches discipline, it teaches teamwork and sportsmanship." VARIOUS OF CHILDREN ARRIVING IN AND FILING OUT OF A MINI-BUS VARIOUS OF UNEKU PLAYING WITH THE CHILDREN VARIOUS OF UNEKU HELPING ONE OF HER STUDENTS KIT-UP FOR PRACTICE VARIOUS OF UNEKU TEACHING A CHILD HOW TO RIDE A HORSE (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNEKU ATAWODI, POLO PLAYER, SAYING: "At the moment, the children are only like 4, 5 and 6 so it's not so difficult for me to actually cover everything myself which I prefer to do. We don't collect donations at the moment because I don't want it to be sort of a pity project. It's a project where we are raising talented children and what they do in the future is going to make money for them." MORE OF UNEKU TEACHING A CHILD HORSE RIDING (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNEKU ATAWODI, POLO PLAYER, SAYING: "My dream would be to see one of my kids in the Olympics representing Nigeria. That would be so awesome. And they could come out and do whatever they want to do after. You know but to like see them get to the very very top of whatever they choose to do and to come back and sit with me at the dinner table when I'm super old and tell me about their world experiences and how they have been able to travel the world and meet all these cool people, that definitely is something I would love to see." VARIOUS OF UNEKU ARRIVING AT HER BAMBOO CLUB HOUSE VARIOUS OF UNEKU MIXING A DRINK FOR A GUEST VARIOUS OF UNEKU WITH BAMBOO CLUB MANAGER (SOUNDBITE) (English) UMAR ABUTU, BAMBOO CLUB MANAGER, SAYING: "Polo is her life. She dreams and eats polo, she talks about polo every time, all the time that I know her and I think she encourages people to play, to ride horses and play polo like her. She wants them to be like her, she wants the kids to be like her." HORSES UNEKU WRAPPING HORSES LEG UNEKU RIDING AWAY
  • Embargoed: 26th March 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Nigeria
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA9KQT7CFHH8E0064QKSM96IT02
  • Story Text: Uneku Atawodi's favourite place to be is on a horse. The 24-year-old Nigerian, who is among the world's first black female professional polo players, started riding when she was just 5 years old.
    Uneku spent most of her weekends as a child at the local polo club in her home state of Kaduna, Nigeria, but it was not until she was 14 that she started training to be a professional polo player, despite her family saying it was not an appropriate career choice for a woman.
    She shocked everyone even further when she decided to study horses and pursue a degree in equestrian science in England.
    Sometimes called the "Sport of Kings", polo is often considered a game for the wealthy. Uneku wants to change that perception and popularize the sport and the values she says it teaches to people of all backgrounds, especially in Africa.

    "My aim now is really to bring polo to the masses you know, to bring polo to a more world audience, for people to not just think it's a sport that is you know only for rich people and you know people just go out... it's actually... it's a connection with horse and man, it's you know, it teaches discipline, it teaches teamwork and sportsmanship," she said.
    Twice a week for the last one year, Uneku offers free polo classes for orphaned children in Nigeria's capital, Abuja. She says her passion to share the sport with children is about capturing their interest in polo at a tender age and giving them a good start in life.

    "At the moment, the children are only like 4, 5 and 6 so it's not so difficult for me to actually cover everything myself which I prefer to do. We don't collect donations at the moment because I don't want it to be sort of a pity project. It's a project where we are raising talented children and what they do in the future is going to make money for them," Uneku says.

    "My dream would be to see one of my kids in the Olympics representing Nigeria. That would be so awesome. And they could come out and do whatever they want to do after... you know but to like see them get to the very very top of whatever they choose to do and to come back and sit with me at the dinner table when I'm super old and tell me about their world experiences and how they have been able to travel the world and meet all these cool people, that definitely is something I would love to see," she added.
    Uneku's passion has span an international career in polo. She managed a polo club in New York, was a representative of the Federation of International Polo (FIP) in France and worked for the FIP president from 2007. In 2008, the young polo player organized the first all female polo tournament in West Africa.
    Currently she works as the special assistant to the Permanent Secretary for the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja while still representing Nigeria at international polo meets.
    She is also the owner of a nature inspired boutique style hotel called Bamboo House.
    Umar Abutu, a friend and manager at Bamboo House says Uneku's passion for polo is contagious.

    "Polo is her life. She dreams and eats polo, she talks about polo every time, all the time that I know. her and I think she encourages people to play, to ride horses and play polo like her. She wants them to be like her, she wants the kids to be like her," he said.
    Uneku has come a long way from shovelling horse droppings, to owning a polo ranch in Argentina and playing in over 14 countries including Switzerland, Jamaica, Morocco and India.
    She says people are still often surprised by how good she is at polo but male or female, players tend not to care when they are on the pitch.
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