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Europe, Polo News

Europe Zone play-offs – from 30 april to 8 may 2022 Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly

25. April 2022

With about a week to go before the start of the tournament, the five teams participating in the European Zone play-offs of the World Polo Championship at the Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly have just communicated their line-ups to the Federation of International Polo: the men in blue now know their opponents and will be able to prepare accordingly

Now it is known for instance that the Ruiz Guiñazu family is represented in two teams: Switzerland and Spain. The latter team, led by the excellent Spanish professional Pelayo Berazadi, seems to be the most impressive on paper: „Spain will certainly be our toughest opponent,“ confirms Frenchman Robert Strom. The team is made up of players who all have a lot of experience at the top level. Les Bleus will know very quickly what to expect from La Roja, as the latter will be their first opponent on 30 April at 5pm.

Italy is also a strong candidate for qualification (remember that only two of the five teams will be selected for the final phase of this World Cup). La Squadra Azzura has called on two players who are well known in France: Tete Fanelli and Martin Joaquin, who won last year‘s Coupe d‘Or de Deauville alongside the French team‘s striker Sam Sztarkman. A final where he was named MVP (most valuable player). „Along with Spain, Italy will certainly be the most difficult team to play against, without underestimating of course the quality of Germany and Switzerland“, Robert Strom also underlines.

The last time Switzerland participated in the FIP Polo World Championship was in 1995 in St. Moritz. Twenty-seven years later, the Swiss Federation is delighted to be able to present once more a competitive team at the World Championship qualifiers.

As in all team sports, Germany also has a strong team. It will be led by the German No. 1 Patrick Maleitzke, who has a good experience of the top level having played in last year’s Gold Cup and Queen‘s Cup in England with no other than Clément Delfosse, the pillar of the French team. Needless to say, the two men know each other well!

Five days of competition, ten games at the end of which it will be known, on Sunday 8 May, which two teams will go to Palm Beach for the final phase of this World Championship from 26 October to 6 November 2022.

„The World Polo Championship and its qualifiers are increasingly competitive and reflect the values of our sport. We need to strengthen both the top level and amateur polo in order to provide a solid foundation for our sport. And it is with this spirit that we are delighted to contribute to its development by hosting such events,“ said Jean-Edouard Mazery, President of the Federation of French Polo

THE TEAMS: