Five teams, more than 60 horses and maximum atmosphere: A perfect first match day on Sylt. Today teams Lanson and König Pilsener each won two matches and by doing this have the best starting situation for tomorrow’s final. Defending champion team Lanson, including Thomas Winter and Christian Grimme, is in the lead with a goal difference of 1.5 goals and will enter the deciding matches as the favourite team. Thomas Winter, Germany’s best polo player, and Christian Grimme, who has won the Julius Bär Beach Polo World Cup Sylt for the past three years, had everything to in the matches: speed, accuracy in hitting the ball and also some luck.
By winning one match today, victory is still in reach for team Julius Bär. The Julius Bär Polo Team, including Niffy Winter and Caspar Crasemann, had warmed up in the second match and won. Pomellato/Windy and Maserati were defeated both times by their opponents. Nevertheless tomorrow’s final matches will still be exciting: in the final all teams have to compete against each other once again. This means, not nothing is decided yet. The professional umpire Sean Dayus from England: “For me the encounter between König Pilsener and Maserati as the best match of the day. This is what beach polo should look like.”
For tomorrow’s final the organizer Schneider Event GmbH expects hundreds of spectators to come. Today some German celebrities were among the visitors: H.P. Baxxter, front man of the band Scooter, Verona and Franjo Pooth as well as the model Petra van Bremen. Maserati and polo label La Martina are the crowd pullers in the public area with their presentations. Television crews and journalists have accompanied the start of the beach polo chukkas on Sylt. The anticipation of tomorrow’s final could hardly be stronger.
The Julius Bär Beach Polo World Cup Sylt started on Friday evening with the elegant Players’s Dinner presented by Grey Goose, by invitation only, held at the restaurant Strönholt at the Budersand Hotel. Players, patrons, sponsors and celebrities such as Verona and Franjo Pooth enjoyed a four-course meal as well as refreshing creations by the premium vodka producer Grey Goose.
The teams:
Julius Bär (+6)
Caspar Crasemann (+3)
Christopher Winter (+3)
Lanson (+4)
Thomas Winter (+4)
Christian Grimme (0)
Maserati (+2)
Mark Aberle (-2)
Tim Ward (+4)
Pomellato & Windy (+1)
Frank Kirschke (-2)
Agustin Kronhaus (+3)
König Pilsener (+2)
Patrick Maleitzke (+3)
René Kleinlugtenbelt (-1)
