Noon defeat Bin Drai in EMAAR Polo Cup final

Teodoro Lacau delivered a standout performance in the EMAAR Cup final, guiding Noon to their maiden triumph at the Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club.

Defending champions Bin Drai, starting with a 1.5-goal handicap, edged the first half of the prestigious final, capitalising on every opportunity, while Lacau struggled to make his mark, missing all his penalty attempts to leave Noon trailing.

But the tide turned in the second half as Noon, buoyed by the majority of the crowd rallying behind their yellow jerseys, returned to the field with renewed determination.

Lacau transformed into a force to be reckoned with, shaking off his earlier misses and converting every penalty in the third and fourth chukkas.

The Argentinian’s resurgence saw him rack up an impressive seven goals, powering Rashid Alabbar’s team to a commanding 9-5.5 victory. The result ended Bin Drai’s unbeaten run and secured Noon their first-ever EMAAR Cup title.

Lacau’s brilliance earned him the MVP honour of the final, but the humble star was quick to credit the entire team for their collective effort, which brought them their historic silverware.

“I think the MVP is the team,” Lacau told Gulf News.

“They deserve it as they played really well today. I don’t know what changed (between missing every penalty in the first half to scoring every one in the second half) – maybe the mind.

“I was a little bit slow in the first half and didn’t play very well, but in the second half I improved.

“I think in the third chukka we started playing better and made the difference there.”

Noon emerged victorious in the fiercely contested seven-team medium goal tournament, toppling some of the region’s most prestigious polo sides, including AM Polo Team and Equiti Polo Team, on their path to glory.

Claiming the title for the first time, Alabbar’s squad not only secured the coveted trophy but also walked away with a grand prize of Dh80,000, capping off a memorable campaign.

“It’s a very tough tournament with tough teams,” Alabbar told Gulf News.

“All our team members are extremely happy to win, it’s the first win for our team, which is a new team."

Alabbar also had high praise for the game’s MVP, commending the Argentinian for his pivotal role in elevating the team’s performance from the very first match of the EMAAR Cup.

“Teo is an amazing player. When you play with someone at that level you learn a lot. Every chukka you get tips from the player about what to do and not to do. From the first match to the final, I think all of us improved and learned from each other, especially from Teo with all the experience he has.”

Earlier in the day, Equiti Polo clinched a nail-biting victory over Abu Dhabi in the Subsidiary Final, triumphing 6-5.5. The turning point came in the third chukka, where Equiti’s trio of goals ultimately sealed their hard-fought win.