10 Years of the German Beach Polo Championship – Anniversary Celebrated on Rügen

Team Del Mare / Stralsunder Möbelwerke wins the 9th International German Beach Polo Championship in the Baltic seaside resort of Sellin, with Arlett Heinemann and Patrick Maleitzke.

When international polo players and more than 60 Argentine polo ponies gather once again on the beach of Sellin from 2 to 4 October 2026, a special milestone will be celebrated: the German Beach Polo Championship marks its tenth edition under the auspices of the German Polo Association. Over the years, the tournament on the island of Rügen has become a firmly established fixture in the European beach polo calendar, combining top-level sport with the unique backdrop of the Baltic Sea coast.

However, the history of beach polo in Germany dates back even further. As early as 2007, Baltic Polo Events introduced beach polo to Germany for the first time, organising the country’s first tournaments of this kind at Timmendorfer Strand. In recognition of this initiative, the project was honoured in 2008 by the nationwide “Land of Ideas” initiative under the patronage of Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and Federal President Horst Köhler. The first German Beach Polo Championship was also held at Timmendorfer Strand.

In 2010, the tournament moved for the first time to the island of Rügen, to the Baltic seaside resort of Sellin—a decision that proved to be a resounding success. The combination of polo, beach scenery and maritime atmosphere quickly established Sellin as one of Europe’s most renowned beach polo destinations.

A look back at the most recent tournament highlights why the event attracts thousands of spectators each year. In October 2025, six international teams once again transformed the fine Baltic beach into a spectacular polo arena. Around 20,000 visitors followed the exciting chukkas directly from the shoreline.

The title of the International German Beach Polo Championship was claimed by Team Del Mare / Stralsunder Möbelwerke, represented by Arlett Heinemann and Patrick Maleitzke. In the final, the duo defeated Silvia Nutz and Lukas Sdrenka of Team Land Mecklenburg-Vorpommern / POLO+10 / Black Forest.

Beyond the high-class sporting action, the unique atmosphere of the event once again shaped the weekend: the traditional polo parade along Sellin’s Wilhelmstraße, a diverse culinary offering, and the sold-out Oktoberfest in the VIP tent made the tournament a social highlight on the Baltic coast.

Jeanette Diekmann was named Most Valuable Player, while the Best Playing Pony award went to the ten-year-old mare “Eli,” played by Lukas Sdrenka.

Tournament founder and organiser Thomas Strunck reflects on the development of the event:

“When we introduced beach polo in Germany in 2007, it was a completely new idea. Our goal was to take polo out of traditional club settings and bring it directly to the people—to places where sport, nature and audiences come together. The fact that we are now celebrating the tenth German Beach Polo Championship fills us with great pride.”

In fact, all ten official German Beach Polo Championships of the German Polo Association have been organised by Baltic Polo Events. The anniversary tournament in October 2026 is therefore set not only to be a sporting highlight, but also a retrospective of nearly two decades of beach polo in Germany.

With its unique blend of international polo, Baltic Sea scenery and social flair, Beach Polo Sellin has long established itself as one of Europe’s leading beach polo events—and the 2026 anniversary edition already promises to be a truly special highlight.

Text by Baltic Polo Events