Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club (GRPC) are leaving no stone unturned as it prepares to host the 20th edition of the H.H President of UAE Polo Cup, one of the highest handicapped polo tournaments in the Middle East The tournament, which offers a lucrative prize of AED 500,000 (USD 137,000), was officially launched on Monday at the club. Six 18 goal teams, composed of some of the best Emirati and international players, are set to compete. 

The first match will be played on Wednesday, March 11. The final is scheduled for March 27. All games will be played at Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club in Abu Dhabi, founded by HH Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan in 1994, and run under the patronage of his son, HH Sheikh Falah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

“The sport of polo in the UAE is going in the right way,” said HH Sheikh Falah in his address. “It is a historical occasion for Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of H.H President of UAE Polo Cup. We are extremely proud of what has been accomplished at our club and the way the sport of polo has been supported, organised, and carried forward into the new decade.”

“Creating a legacy is critical to any sport and this landmark year for the HH President of the UAE Polo Cup is testimony to what can be achieved if we do this together,” he added. “This speaks volumes for the sport’s future in the country.” 

HE Zayed Alaboudi Al Zaabi, Ghantoot’s Executive Director, echoed HH Sheikh Falah, saying: “Since it was founded in 1994, Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club has invested into the successful model created by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and which has been passionately carried forward by HH Sheikh Falah bin Zayed. Through their collective vision, the club has grown steadily from humble beginnings into a proud and permanent headquarters for top-level polo in the country.

“It gives me great pleasure to announce that Ghantoot is all set to host the landmark 20th edition of the HH President of the UAE Polo Club at the magnificent Ghantoot Polo Club, which is the only Royal Polo Club in the UAE,” continued Al Zaabi. “We can all look forward to two weeks of high-quality polo from some of the best exponents of the game in the UAE, together with some of the leading players from Argentina and around the world. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our patrons, partners, sponsors and not least the fans for being with us over the past 20 years. Good luck to all the teams participating. I’m sure you will enjoy this just as much as we will enjoy watching you play.”

ALL H.H PRESIDENT OF UAE POLO CUP MATCHES WILL BE STREAMED LIVE ON POLOLINE TV HERE.

H.H PRESIDENT OF UAE POLO CUP – TEAMS:

ZONE A

HABTOOR: Mohammed Al Habtoor 0, Félix Esaín 2, Facundo Sola 9, Mín Podestá 7. Total: 18.

GHANTOOT: N. Al Shamsi 1, Marcos Panelo 4, Pablo Llorente 6, Cacu Araya 7. Total: 18.

DESERT PALM: Y. Bin Desmal 0, Martín Valent 5, Ramiro Cordero 5, Manuel Toccalino 6. Total: 16.

ZONE B

UAE POLO: Sheikha Maitha 0, Benjamín Panelo 4, Tomás Panelo 6, Tommy Beresford 6. Total: 16.

BANGASH: Heider Bangash 0, Federico Von Potobsky 5, Juanchi Ambroggio 6, Manuel Elizalde 6. Total: 17.

ABU DHABI: Faris Al Yabhouni 0, César Crespo 4, Alfredo Cappella 9, Martín Donovan 5. Total: 18.

FULL FIXTURE:

Wednesday, March 11th:

11am: Desert Palm vs Abu Dhabi

2:30pm: Habtoor vs UAE Polo

4:30pm: Bangash vs Ghantoot

Monday 16:

3:30pm: Habtoor vs Bangash

Tuesday 17:

2:30pm: Ghantoot vs Abu Dhabi

4:30pm: Desert Palm vs UAE Polo

Friday 20:

3:30pm: Ghantoot vs UAE Polo

Saturday 21:

2:30pm: Desert Palm vs Bangash 

4:30pm: Habtoor vs Abu Dhabi

Tuesday 24:

2:30pm & 4:30pm: Semifinals

Friday 27:

2:30pm: Fifth Place Match

5PM: FINAL H.H PRESIDENT OF UAE POLO CUP