Emirates Polo Championship International

ABU DHABI: Hosts Ghantoot made a perfect start with a thumping win over Bin Drai team as the Emirates Polo Championship International – the first major tournament of the UAE polo season – kicked off on Tuesday.

The 20th edition of the Emirates Polo Championship International is being held under the generous patronage of Sheikh Falah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club. The support of Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club in association with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council is supported by Capex.com and Paris Reverie.

The high-profile championship, which provides fantastic action, close matches and upsets, witnessed some dazzling play on the magnificent fields of the Ghantoot Club in the opening match with a rampaging Ghantoot defeating Bin Drai 9-4 ½.

Santos Iriarte scored the first goal of the tournament to put the Ghantoot team ahead. Later, Manuel Toccalino’s five successive shots on target helped the hosts gain the upper hand in the game by going up 6-2 by the end of the second chukker.

Cesar Crespo started the second half by scoring for Ghantoot and added one more in the final chukker. Skipper Nasser Al Shamsi also managed to get his name on the scoresheet as Ghantoot registered an easy win.

Bautista Alberdi scored two, and Gregorio Gelosi contributed one for the losing side. Bin Drai’s Mohammed Bin Drai received a yellow card in the second chukker for dangerous use of a polo stick. Gelosi also got a yellow in the fourth chukker for arguing with the umpires.

Ghantoot, who won the Emirates Polo Championship International title in 2019, will meet the Abu Dhabi team on Thursday, while Bin Drai will square off against Abu Dhabi Polo on Saturday. The tournament carries a handicap of 10-12 goals and offers a total cash prize of $100,000. The grand final of the event will be held on Dec.15.

The match took place behind closed doors due to the Covid-19 precautionary and preventive measures in place.

Zayed Khalifa Zayed Al Aboudi Al Zaabi, Executive Director of Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club, was happy with the success of the opener and obviously the winning start for the club's team.

“It’s a great start to the championship. We hope to see some more exciting clashes during the tourney,” said Zaabi.

"There is no doubt that as the tournament reaches its climax, there will be many more thrilling battles before we crown our new champion of the Emirates Polo Championship International 2020.”