Rashid Bin Drai (0), Tomás Iriarte (+4), Manuel Llorrente (+6) and Raúl Laplacette (+6) of team Bin Drai are the winners of the Emirates Open Polo Championship 2014. The foursome won against team Desert Palm 1 with Rashid Al Bawardi (+2), Martin Valent (+5), Facundo Castagnola (+6) and Ali Paterson (+3) at Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club by 12-6. From the beginning, Bin Drai dominated the match. After the second chukka the four already led by 4-0 and after the third chukka the score was 8-1. Desert Palm 1 indeed kept fighting their way back into the game but never really managed to catch up.
Faris Al Yabhouni (0), Victorio Monteverde (+3), Juan Storni (+5) and Alfredo Cappella (+8) of team Abu Dhabi were placed third. With an 8-6 victory over UAE polo team including Her Highness Sheikha Maitha bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Abu Dhabi secured the last place on the podium.
Raúl Laplacette was named Most Valuable Player of the Championship. The award for Best Playing Pony went to Raina, played by Raúl Laplacette.
His Excellency Saeed Bin Houfan Al Mansoori, the Vice Chairman of Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club: „The Championship witnessed a record participation of the UAE and Saudi Teams, and it witnessed the brilliance of many players, where the Club provided all the requirements of success upon the directions of His Highness Chairman of the Club. The conclusion of the Championship was at the level of the event, where the experience of Bin Drai Team gave it priority to win the Title of the Championship over Desert Palm 1 Team, with the wishes to all the participating teams for success in the next Championships.“
This year the Emirates Polo Open Championship took place for the 13th time. The event was held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Falah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, leader of Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club and was supported by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council. POLO+10 is exclusive polo media partner of the event.
The teams:
Abu Dhabi (+16)
Faris Al Yabhouni (0)
Victorio Monteverde (+3)
Juan Storni (+5)
Alfredo Cappella (+8)
Habtoor Polo (+16)
Habtoor Al Habtoor (0)
Santiago Gómez Romero (+3)
Guillermo Cuitino (+6)
Francisco Elizalde (+7)
Desert Palm 2 (+16)
Tarik Al Bawardi (+1)
Santiago Laborde (+5)
Alejo Taranco (+6)
Matías Machado (+4)
Desert Palm 1 (+16)
Rashid Al Bawardi (+2)
Martin Valent (+5)
Facundo Castagnola (+6)
Ali Paterson (+3)
Edress Polo (+16)
Sultan Edrees (0)
Juta Chavane (+5)
Pierre Henri N’Goumou (+5)
Ignacio González (+6)
Ghantoot Al Basti (+16)
Nasser Al Shamisi (+1)
Ahmed Al Nuaimi (0)
Francisco Bensadón (+8)
Juan Zavaleta (+7)
Zedan Polo (+16)
Amr Zedan (0)
Luis Gagliardi (+2)
Facundo Fernández Llorente (+4)
David Stirling (+10)
Bin Drai Polo (+16)
Rashid Bin Drai (0)
Tomás Iriarte (+4)
Manuel Llorrente (+6)
Raúl Laplaeette (+6)
UAE Polo (+16)
Shaikha Maitha Bint Mohammad (0)
Guy Gibrat (+5)
Martín Aguerre (+6)
Agustín Martínez (+5)
