Clockwise from left: Australian captain Glen Gilmore, who changed his diary upside-down to take part, gave insightful comments from the saddle via a microphone strapped to his trademark red helmet; Matt Welsh takes the ball on ahead of Nick Bowen; Sascha Holland, Clare Paspaley and Natalie DeCorte
Ham
Innovative international series launched for amateurs HAM’S PETE MCCORMACK has been working on a project to create something akin to football’s Champions League for polo for almost two years, and the first game of the inaugural “International Club Series” took place last month, on Tuesday 1 June. Ham Polo Club welcomed a visiting side from Moscow Polo Club and ground out a tricky and potentially valuable victory, 71/2-7. The idea of the series is to play in a league format with other clubs from
overseas throughout the season. This year’s four-team format means each club will host three games, one against each opposing club, with points allocated for home and away wins as well as draws. This year’s clubs for the inaugural running of the series are VR Polo Club in Thailand, Real Club de Polo de Barcelona, London Polo Club (Ham) and Moscow Polo Club. The ongoing tournament will culminate in a final to be played in Bangkok in November.
Poland Austrian penalties make the Polish pay
WARSAW POLO CLUB, founded in 2007, played host to the Middle Europe Cup of Nations in late May, when Germany, Hungary, Austria and Poland entered sides to compete in the three- day tournament. Hungary’s journey to take part was particularly treacherous, due to severe flooding in southern Poland which threatened to delay the arrival of the country’s kisberi horses (these were well documented in the June 2010 issue of Polo Times).
Polistas’s Johnny Lynn, a face well known to players and aficionados in the UK, was present at all games to provide play-by-play commentary and third-man expertise for the audience. And he was on hand for Sunday’s tight-fought final, when Austria beat hosts Poland in better weather, 7-5, largely because of their superior ability to convert their penalties. Sponsors BMW presented Captain Drasche Wartinberg of Austria with the winners’ trophy.
Singapore
Free-scoring Nacho clinches the cup SINGAPORE POLO CLUB was host to this year’s Audemars Piguet International Polo Gold Cup on Sunday 6 June. Played at 12-goal level, the game brought together a number of the country’s best local players and some international high-goal talent jetted in from New Zealand and Argentina. Argentina’s high- goaler was none other than polo playing model Nacho Figueras, who scored five goals on his side’s route to a 9-8 victory. His participation, along with corporate hospitality and free entry for Singapore’s growing crowd of polo- loving spectators, ensured a good turnout and a palpable buzz of excitement around the ground.
Teams
Audemars Piguet Singapore (12): Nacho Figueras 6; Sattar Khan 4; Jeff Hardee 1; Ameer Jumabhoy 1
Audemars Piguet International (12): Craig Wilson 6; Mark Lillyman 4; Ali Namazie 1; Ang Roon Kai 1
www.polotimes.co.uk July 2010 53 X
Four more international cities are expected to be involved in 2011, with most of the details already finalised. The series is set to a maximum handicap of eight goals, with each team limited to one professional player, whose handicap must be no more than five. Of the three other players, who must be members of their respective club, at least two must be a national of the country their club represents. The whole concept has been sponsored by King Power.
London and Moscow prepare for battle
Photographs by Leah McQueen and Yane Sotiroski
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