Dubai Gold Cup Series - Ghantoot team in International Tournament
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Ghantoot Face Crack Polo Sides in Dubai Gold Cup Series
Emirati Al Dhaheri Will Captain Team In International Tournament
Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club, January 24, 2012: A team from Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club will become the sixth side to compete in this year’s Dubai Polo Gold Cup.
Polo Patron and Chairman of Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club, HH Sheikh Falah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, confirmed he has entered a team for the open tournament, which will be held on February 25 – March 9.
Last season Ghantoot Polo Team made it through to the semi-final of the international competition, ultimately winning the subsidiary final, 8-7 against DCC Sumaya.
This season Ghantoot’s Nasser Al Dhaheri, the top-scoring amateur player in last year’s tournament, will be back and wearing the captain’s armband.
Rated as a one-goal player, the Emirati will be joined by Ghantoot’s stalwart Argentine ace, Oscar Colombres, who, with a five-goal handicap, was the highest goal-scorer in the club’s season-opening Golden Polo Cup at the end of last year.
Also in the line-up are two newcomers to Ghantoot this season, Ramiro Cordero, a four-goal player and the Emirates Open top goalscorer, Ramiro Cordero.
With a team handicap of 15, the side conforms to the 12-15 handicap rules of the Dubai Polo Gold Cup tournament, which is to be held at Dubai Polo Club.
Also confirmed for the event are Saudi Arabia’s Zedan Polo, Abu Dhabi Polo, Habtoor Polo, Mahra Polo and Bin Drai Polo.
Al Dhaheri said his team was hard at work and he was counting on a strong display from his side.
“Our players have already competed in four of our own tournaments this season so both riders and ponies are match-fit,” he said. “We have been training with an eye on this event for a number of months and we look forward to testing ourselves against the best teams in the Middle East.”
Al Dhaheri said the team had been changed from last season to give new players the chance to compete.
“Last year Hugo Barabucci and Gonzalo Azumendi, who are seven and six goals respectively, represented Ghantoot,” said the team captain. “This time it was decided that we would to give our very accomplished new Argentine players the chance to take part in this event with the support of our old-hand, Oscar [Colombres] who has been playing exceptionally well this season.
“Now we are knuckling down hard in training so that during the competition week we can produce a smooth team performance and play the open, fast-paced polo that Ghantoot is known for.”