- Coutts team Abu Dhabi puts up a spirited fight-back to
take the final match into overtime
- Sold-out audiences enjoy stunning weekend of polo and
picnics on the lawns of Emirates Palace
25 November, 2012 - Abu Dhabi, UAE:
Hublot team Buenos Aires won a thrilling 3-2 penalty shoot out over Coutts team
Abu Dhabi to secure the inaugural Coutts Polo at the Palace yesterday.
Locked at 5-5 at the end of the fourth ‘chukka’, Hublot team
Buenos Aires held their nerve against the home team favourites who took the
match into overtime with a desperate last minute two point goal in the dying
stages.
The final was watched by a sell-out audience on the lawns of
Emirates Palace and with the sun quickly setting on a stunning weekend of polo
action, the pulsating shoot out was a fitting finale to Abu Dhabi’s newest
sporting event.
Hublot team Buenos Aires’ captain Mohammed Al Habtoor was
awarded the Coutts Cup by His Highness Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan,
Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research at the official prize
giving ceremony.
City Events Ltd’s CEO, Rory Heron, whose company organized
the showpiece event, said: “The final was a wonderful way to complete a
memorable weekend that for the first time brought polo to the heart of Abu
Dhabi.”
“We were very proud of how it all went and we hope the
people of Abu Dhabi thoroughly enjoyed themselves at what was something a
little different for the events scene here.
“We could not have asked for a more entertaining final and along
with the polo there was so much more for people to experience. Corporate
hospitality was abuzz with activity throughout the weekend and the polo village
had its own special atmosphere with families relaxing in the sunshine over
picnics.”
Coutts team Abu Dhabi’s loss against their Argentinean
rivals was a bitter pill to swallow in front of their home crowd, but captain Faris Al Yabhouni says the event was a
stunning endorsement of how polo can be showcased to cosmopolitan city
audiences.
“It has been great to be part of such a special occasion,”
he said. “The event has been incredibly successful and I’m sure we will be back
for another Polo at the Palace next year. The games provided great excitement for
all the viewers and overall we were very pleased with how it has all turned
out.”
Coutts Polo at the Palace was a spin-off of the popular
London event ‘Polo in the Park’, which pioneered the City Polo Series which is
now set to take the stage in Singapore and Shanghai as it goes global and into other
key financial capitals.
Palace Polo was played on a pitch a third smaller than a
regular polo field, which meant the spectators were closer to the action. Each
team had three players (reduced from the usual four) and all the action started
with the spectacular ‘Palace dash’ where two opponents raced at full speed from
opposite ends of the polo pitch to get to the ball first.
It was a unique take on the traditions of polo and proved to
be a winning formula for spectators who flocked to the stunning venue.
Jean Loup Giriat, who was soaking up the polo village, said:
“I attended polo events back in France and today has been excellent quality
polo. I would definitely return next year.”
On the opening afternoon, Hublot Buenos Aires beat Maserati
Milan 13-5 while Coutts team Abu Dhabi accounted for ‘How to Spend it’ team
London to book themselves a spot in the final.
The event was supported by some of the world’s highest end
institutions and brands, including Coutts, Emirates Palace, Maserati, Nespresso,
La Martina and Hublot.
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