HH President of UAE Polo Cup announces sporting and recreational line-up for 2014 edition

HH President of UAE Polo Cup announces sporting and recreational line-up for 2014 edition 

Annual tournament starts tomorrow; Grand Final on January 24

Eight teams will battle it out in the 2014 edition of the prestigious HH President of UAE Polo Cup, to be held from 14-24 January at the Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club (GRPC). Hosted under the patronage of HH Sheikh Falah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of GRPC, the event offers fans an exciting combination of international polo and family fun.

A press conference, will be held today in St. Regis Abu Dhabi, presents the details of the event – including the teams, fixtures, playing modality of the tournament, Final Day’s schedule and the event’s partners.

The HH President of UAE Polo Cup is a unique opportunity to be a part of an exclusive state-of-the art polo experience at the UAE’s only Royal polo facility. Qualification games begin on 14 January with the Sub Final and Grand Final on January 24. The event will showcase talents of Emirati players as well as international professionals.

Defending champions Bin Drai Polo, along with seven other teams will be in the fray in the 16-goal handicap event. There will two pools of four teams each and two matches will be played every day, over eight days.

The tournament will be played under HPA rules. All games will consist of four chukkers except the Grand Final match, which will have five chukkers. The top two Teams from each pool will play the semi-finals: the 1st Team from pool A against 2nd Teamfrom pool B, and 2nd Team from Pool A against 1st team of Pool B. In the event of a tie score, the winner will be determined by golden goal.

The opening match will be played between Bin Drai Polo and Ghantoot Al Basti while the second match of Day 1 will be UAE Polo versus Al Habtoor Polo.

“HH President of UAE Polo Cup is a perfect event for our facility. The venue offers exceptional facilities and every year we witness thrilling polo action and an entertaining atmosphere. Over the years the success of the tournament has greatly been due to the continued support from our valuable partners. We are once again looking forward to high quality action and I extend a warm welcome to the players, officials, special guests and spectators attending this year’s tournament,” said Ahmed Al Nuaimi.

“HH President of UAE Polo Cup is considered one of the finest and most prestigious polo tournaments across the Middle East. We are proud and honoured to once again lend our support to this annual event which has made its mark on the Emirate’s sporting and social lifestyle calendar,” said Dr. Majdi Abdel Muhdi.

The club’s most historic and prestigious polo tournament is set amid the lush greenery of the facility’s polo fields. On the last day of the event there will be two matches including the final. In addition to the elite and exciting matches, Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club invites the public to enjoy wide-ranging entertainment for all ages.

Among the family activities on offer during the Final Day will be shows supported by Sheikh Mohammed Sports and Physical Fitness Programme, Dubai Police dog show, DJ music and adventure games. Also on the itinerary are a performance by the Abu Dhabi Police Band, military sky dive show and a show by the UAE National Aerobatic Team – Al Fursan. The venue will host a picnic area, children’s entertainment playground and a food court, making it an ideal setup for adults and children to spend a special day.

Following is the schedule of events for the Final Day:
1:00pm Gates Open
1:00pm to 3:00 pm Family Recreational Activities
3:00 pm Subsidiary Polo Match
4:15 pm National Anthem by Abu Dhabi Police Band
4:30pm to 5.00pm UAE Parachute Team Show, UAE National Aerobatic Show by Al Fursan and Horse March Exhibition Show
5:00pm Presentation Ceremony
5:15pm Final Polo Match
6:30pm Prize Distribution Ceremony and Public Raffles Prizes
The club’s doors are open to public for free during the tournament days, including the Final Day, from 1.00pm.

HH President of UAE Polo Cup is organised by Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club with Abu Dhabi Sport Council being the Supporting Governing Partner. The event is presented by Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) and the Official Partner is Al Basti Equiworld. It is supported by Shaikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktom Sports & Physical Fitness Program, Dubai Police, Government of Dubai and St. Regis Abu Dhabi. The Supporting Media partner is Al Medmar and Exclusive Polo Media Partner is POLO+10.

Polo Team Info
Pool A

1. Bin Drai Polo: Mohammed Bin Drai (0), Tomas Iriarte (4), Manuel  Llorrente (6), Raul Laplacette (6).

2. Ghantoot Al Basti Polo: Nasser Al Shamsi (1), Diego Cossio (4), Juan Zavaleta (7), Oscar Colombres (4).

3. UAE Polo: HH Shaikha Maitha (0), Tomas Gagliardi (2), Ollie Cudmore (5), Lucas Monteverde (9).

4. Al Habtoor Polo: Habtoor Al Habtoor (0), Santiago Romero (3), Francisco Elizalde (7), Guillemo Cuitino (6).

                                                         
Pool B

1. Abu Dhabi Polo: Faris Al Yabhouni (0), Victorio Monteverde (3), Juan Storni (7), Alfredo Cappella (6).

2. Desert Palm Polo: Tariq Albwardy (0), Matias Machado (4), Santiago Laborde (5), Alejo Taranco (6).

3. Zedan Polo: Amr Zedan (0), Luis Gagliardi (2), Felipe Viana (4), Pelon Stirling (10).

4. ADCB Polo: Ali Al Merri (0), Juan Zubiaurre (4), Facundo Sola (8), Pelayo Berazadi (4).