Abu Dhabi: Al Habtoor Polo and Bin Drai opened with wins on the opening day of the His Highness the President of the UAE Polo Cup, presented by ADCB at the Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club last weekend.
While Al Habtoor got the better of UAE Polo 6-5, Bin Drai polo secured an exciting 6-5 win over Ghantoot Al Basti polo. Raul Laplacette topscored for Bin Drai with four goals, while Guillermo Cuitino dazzled for Al Habtoor with a hat-trick.
In the first match, Al Habtoor Polo took the lead when Francisco Elizalde opened the scoring, while Ollie Cudmore equalised for UAE Polo. With the score at 4-2 going into the final chukker, Al Habtoor Polo held on to their lead to finish the match at 6-5.
“This was exactly the start we needed. UAE Polo Team is a very good side and they gave us a close fight. I knew it was not going to be easy, but we stayed focussed and came together very well as a team,” noted Habtoor Al Habtoor, skipper of Al Habtoor Polo.
Mohammad Bin Drai, captain of the Bin Drai team, said: “It is fantastic to be a part of this tournament and win our first match. It was a tough game, but we are pleased with our performance.”
Held under the patronage of Shaikh Falah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman, GRPC, the His Highness President of UAE Polo Cup offers fans an exciting combination of high-quality polo and family fun. The tournament will conclude with the final on January 24.
All games consist of four chukkers except the final, which will have five chukkers. The top two Desert Palm Polo Teams from each pool will play the semi-finals: the first Desert Palm Polo Team from pool A against second Desert Palm Polo Team from pool B, and second Desert Palm Polo Team from Pool A against the first team of Pool B.
The club’s doors are open to public for free during the tournament days, including the final on January 24.
