It’s all happening at China’s most important polo destination. The Fortune Heights Snow Polo World Cup is taking place for the third time at the Metropolitan Polo Club in Tianjin from January 25th to February 3rd, 2013.
Snow polo is gradually gripping attention in China: the Tianjin Metropolitan Polo Club has been attracting polo enthusiasts to the freezing cold snow-covered polo pitch. For the last three years, the Fortune Heights Snow Polo World Cup has been held in the Chinese harbor town of Tian-jin, around 90 minutes by car from Beijing, since 2011.
The snow polo tournament is one of the highest handicap competitions in the world, with team handicaps of up to +16. Pan Sutong, Chairman of the Tianjin Metropolitan Polo Club remarks, “In 2012, we demonstrated conclusively that the Metropolitan Polo Club is capable of hosting such events. Twelve of the top international teams came to China for the tournament as did a large number of prominent guests, including ambassadors, polo professionals and elite members of the business community.”
The Chinese tournament is taking place for the third time from January 25th to February 3rd, 2013 and is again expecting twelve high-ranking teams. As in the previous year, the event will be hosted by the Federation of International Polo (FIP). “The 2013 competition is expected to be much tougher this time as teams knows what to expect after last year’s tournament”, says David Row of the media agency Revolution Sport + Entertainment. A lot has happened since the first snow chukkas at the Metropolitan Polo Club.
Today the Polo Club which was founded in 2010 boasts China’s largest polo facility, comprising two playing fields, boxes for around 260 horses, training halls, a riding school as well as its own club house and is prized and frequented by international professionals. “The huge presence of the media in 2012 demons-trated clearly that the interest in polo is growing all the time among the public in China. We see it in the participation numbers of players of all age groups and we will be offering them even more events and programs in the coming months and years to meet their needs,” reports Sutong. The stage has been set for the future and China is looking forward full of excitement to the Fortune Heights Snow Polo World Cup, Asia’s only snow polo tournament.
The Teams:
ZONE 1
England (+16)
George Meyrick (+5)
Max Routledge (+5)
James Harper (+6)
Reserve: Alen Kent (+4)
New Zealand (+16)
Glenn Sherriff (+4)
Christopher Brooks (+4)
John Paul Clarkin (+8)
Reserve: James Wood (+4)
United States (+16)
Robert Yackley (+3)
Alan Martínez (+6)
Mike Azzaro (+7)
Reserve: Joel Baker (+2)
ZONE 2
Hong Kong (+16)
John Fisher (+4)
Martín Inchauspe (+5)
Guillermo Terrera, Jr. (+7)
Chile (+15)
Juan M. Gerstle (+4)
Pablo Villela (+5)
Matías Vial (+6)
Brazil (+15)
Gustavo García (+3)
Pedro Zacharías (+6)
Luiz Carlos Figuera de Mello (+6)
ZONE 3
South Africa (+16)
Lance Watson (+4)
Chris Mackenzie (+5)
Tom de Bruin (+7)
Reserve: Terence Spilsbury (+4)
France (+14)
Edouard Pan (+4)
Pierre Henri N´Goumou (+5)
Juan M. González (+5)
Reserve: Clement Delfosse (+4)
India (+16)
Uday Kalaan (+4)
Basheer Alí (+6)
Shamsheer Alí (+6)
ZONE 4
Argentina (+16)
Martín Joaquín (+3)
Darío Musso (+6)
Juan Ruiz Guiñazú, Jr. (+7)
Reserve: Santiago Gaztambide (+6)
Australia (+16)
William Gilmore (+4)
Kelvin Johnson (+5)
Glen Gilmore (+7)
Reserve: Edward Goold (+4)
Canada (+16)
Robert Stenzel (+3)
Marcelo Abbiatti (+5)
Frederick Mannix, Jr. (+8)
www.snowpoloworldcup.com
