The Swiss polo players Reto Gaudenzi and Dr. Piero Dillier have been awarded as FIP Founding Ambassadors by the Federation of International Polo (FIP). They received the award for their work and support of the sport of polo in the context of the organization FIP. Current FIP president Dr. Richard Caleel, his predecessors Eduardo Huergo and Glen Holden as well as founding president Marcos Uranga presented the awards at the FIP 30 Year Anniversary Party at the beginning of December in Buenos Aires. Next to the Swiss polo legends, 13 other well-known personalities from the sport of polo were honoured by the FIP for their important work for the development and success of the FIP.
Reto Gaudenzi, honorary president of the St. Moritz Polo Club, is one of the most impressive polo visionaries of the past four decades. He founded the Snow Polo Word Cup on the frozen lake St. Moritz and invented the modern-day version of beach polo in Miami. To this day, Reto Gaudenzi has organised more than 100 polo tournaments on grass, snow and sand worldwide. Among these four World and European championships: the European championships in 1987 in Berlin and 1993 in St. Moritz as well as the World championships 1989 in Berlin and 1995 in St. Moritz. Reto Gaudenzi also participated in the European Championships himself in 1993 and won the bronze medal with the support of Mario Zindel, Adriano Agosti, Werner Maier and Piero Dillier – Switzerland’s only polo accolade so far. To the present day, Reto Gaudenzi actively plays polo all over the world and is regarded as the father of modern polo marketing. His latest coup: Last September Reto Gaudenzi organised the first polo tournament in Azerbaijan, the Arena Polo World Cup Azerbaijan.
Dr. Piero Dillier is founding member of the FIP, which was founded at the beginning of the eighties. Since then he commits himself to the promotion of the sport of polo in Europe. For several decades Piero Dillier is delegate of the FIP for Switzerland and for five years he is representative of the FIP in Europe. During his career as a polo player he attended tournaments all over the world and has won numerous trophies. Even today he is an enthusiastic polo player and successfully participates in tournaments throughout Europe.
The Federation of International Polo today counts about 50 member nations. Among other things, the tasks and goals of the FIP include the creation and enforcement of standardised international rules, the promotion of the reputation of the sport of polo at international level, the organisation of polo tournaments, including the European championships and World championships and the support of the national polo associations.
