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Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, played in the 2023 Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup.

28. August 2023

SINGAPORE, ASIA: On the 12th of August, Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, Co-Founding Patron of Sentebale returned to Singapore Polo Club to play in the 2023 Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup. The annual fundraising event has raised over £11milliion to date for Sentebale’s work supporting children and young people in southern Africa.

The Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup was previously hosted by the Singapore Polo Club in 2017. Excited crowds cheered on the Royal Salute Sentebale Team, captained by Malcolm Borwick as they took on the Singapore Polo Club Team, captained by Sentebale Ambassador and long-time friend Nacho Figueras in a fast-paced game. This year’s event saw Figueras, in opposition to The Duke’s team, one of the few occasions in the tournaments history when the pair have played on opposing sides. Both rose to the challenge, each scoring impressive goals but ultimately the teams were evenly matched with the final score levelling at 7-7 with honours shared.

Around 260 guests, including former All Blacks rugby player and ISPS Handa Ambassador Dan Carter, attended the Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup followed by dinner at the InterContinental Singapore.

Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, Co-Founding Patron of Sentebale said, “Sentebale has remained a pillar of support in communities across southern Africa for almost two decades, ensuring future generations are well equipped to address the many challenges facing our world. Adaptability and nimbleness have been a defining factor in our work since Prince Seeiso and I founded the charity 17 years ago. Our work has remained rooted in our mission, and in honour of our late mothers, we wish to ensure all children and young people in southern Africa are empowered, healthy and able to pursue their ambitions and dreams.”

Nacho Figueras, Sentebale’s Ambassador said, “Although Prince Harry and I played on opposing teams this year, we are always united in our support for Sentebale and the life-changing work they do for young people in southern Africa. It’s a highlight every year to come together for this incredible charity, and I’m grateful to everyone who contributes to their work.”

Dr Haruhisa Handa, Founder of International Sports Promotion Society said, “ISPS believes sport has the power to inspire, break down barriers, and change lives and communities for the better. This ethos was exemplified today at the Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup. Marrying the power of sport and the vital philanthropic work Sentebale undertakes in Lesotho and Botswana to eradicate HIV and AIDS stigma, ISPS is a proud and honoured partner of this platform. Our genuine thanks to the Sentebale team for their enduring commitment, and to Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, without whose vision the positive impact on so many lives would not have been realised.”

The funds raised from this year’s Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup are essential to ensuring the progress made in recent years is maintained.

Sentebale’s holistic package of support for vulnerable children and young people focusses on four key areas:

Strengthening the social and emotional wellbeing of those living with or affected by HIV.
Working with communities to provide young people with access to health and social services.
Driving youth advocacy to improve health, education, and social protection.
Building individuals skills and livelihoods so they are more resilient, self-confident and empowered members of their communities.

This layered approach is supporting positive health outcomes, improving access to education and services, and is nurturing children and young people to thrive.

Sentebale is enormously grateful to all the players and partners for their support in making this year’s event possible including, ISPS Handa, Royal Salute Singapore Polo Club, IHG Hotels & Resorts, U.S. Polo Assn and The Cox Family of Oklahoma.

For more information about Sentebale’s work please go to www.sentebale.org.

SINGAPORE, ASIA: On the 12th of August, Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, Co-Founding Patron of Sentebale returned to Singapore Polo Club to play in the 2023 Sentebale ISPS Handa…

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Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, to play in the 2023 Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup

1. August 2023

The Duke will travel to Asia in August for the annual Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup and to attend the ISPS Sports Values Summit-Special Edition.

LONDON, UK, Monday 31^st July, 2023: Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, Co-Founding Patron of Sentebale, will play in the 2023 Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup at Singapore Polo Club on the 12^th of August. Since 2010, the annual Polo Cup has raised over £11 million to support Sentebale’s work with children and young people affected by poverty, inequality and HIV/AIDS in southern Africa.

Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, Co-Founding Patron of Sentebale said, “The annual Polo Cup is essential to Sentebale’s vital work ensuring children and young people are healthy, resilient, and able to thrive. The funds raised this year will support our Clubs and Camps programme, which provides intensive psychosocial support to young people living with HIV. In a time where being HIV positive is no longer a death sentence, we are empowering young people to know their status, stay healthy, and eliminate the stigma so that they can break the cycle.

We are delighted to return to the renowned Singapore Polo Club in August, and are once again enormously grateful for the polo community and our sponsors, in particular ISPS Handa, for their ongoing commitment to Lesotho and Botswana’s youth.”

The Duke will play on the Royal Salute Sentebale Team, against the Singapore Polo Club Team captained by the charity’s ambassador and long-time friend, Nacho Figueras.

Prior to travelling to Singapore, both will participate in a summit on the power of sport, community and philanthropy at the ISPS Sports Values Summit-Special Edition in Tokyo, Japan on the 9^th of August. They will be joined by ISPS Handa Founder Dr. Handa, former New Zealand All Blacks and ISPS Handa Ambassador Dan Carter, Sentebale Chair Sophie Chandauka MBE, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of South Africa’s Stellenbosch University Professor Wim de Villiers, and Royal Australian Navy Veteran and Invictus Games Gold Medallist Steve James.

Dr Haruhisa Handa, Founder of International Sports Promotion Society said, “ISPS Handa are delighted to be partnering with Sentebale this August on the special edition of ISPS Sports Values Summit in Tokyo and the annual Polo Cup in Singapore. Our respective organisations share a mutual responsibility to empower and aid those most in need and believe we can use the power of sport to do so.”

Support for Sentebale makes possible its core areas of work, including strengthening the social and emotional wellbeing of those living with or affected by HIV; working with communities to provide young people with access to health and social services; and driving youth advocacy to improve health, education, and social protection; and building individuals’ skills and livelihoods so they are more resilient, self-confident and empowered members of their communities.

For more information about Sentebale’s work please go to our website www.sentebale.org or read our 2022 Annual Report & Accounts.

The Duke will travel to Asia in August for the annual Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup and to attend the ISPS Sports Values Summit-Special Edition. LONDON, UK, Monday 31st July,…

North America, Polo News

Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex plays polo to raise funds for Sentebale in Aspen, USA

29. August 2022

ASPEN, COLORADO: On the 25^th August 2022, Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, Co-Founding Patron of Sentebale, returned to the stunning grounds of Aspen Valley Polo Club to play in the 2022 Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup. Each year, the Polo Cup raises awareness and funds to support Sentebale’s work with children and young people in Southern Africa whose lives have been affected by extreme poverty, inequality, HIV/AIDS and recently COVID-19.

The Sentebale Team claimed victory in a fast-paced round robin tournament featuring Royal Salute and U.S. Polo Assn. Their win was the result of a spectacular team effort which saw every player scoring at least one goal. The team was captained by the charity’s ambassador and Argentine polo player, Nacho Figueras, who played alongside The Duke of Sussex, Grant Ganzi, and Steve Cox.

The Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup is the charity’s annual flagship fundraising event, which over the last decade has raised around £10million to support Sentebale’s work in providing vulnerable children and young people in Lesotho and Botswana with access to vital health services, care and support, and skills to be self-sufficient and thrive.

Around 200 guests, including former All Black rugby player and ISPS Handa Ambassador Dan Carter were treated to an afternoon of polo at the foothills of the majestic Mount Sopris before dining at The St. Regis Aspen Resort. Carter delivered a speech to guests followed by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex and Nacho Figueras.

Prior to concluding The Duke’s speech, he introduced a music video written and produced by three young artists from Lesotho commissioned by Sentebale titled, “We Are The Future”. The story is grounded in the agency of young people, who are thechangemakers at the centre of solutions that they know work best for their communities. Over the years Sentebale’s ways of working have evolved, yet the focus has remained the same – to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable children and young people. The charity has learnt that by listening to young people and working in a way that they lead, have agency, and are empowered is the key to driving sustainable outcomes for communities and future generations.

Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, Co-Founding Patron of Sentebale said, “At Sentebale we strive to break generational cycles of trauma and stigma every day. By educating and empowering young people to know their status and to know they can live long, healthy lives while on medication, we aim to end HIV once and for all.”

Midori Miyazaki, International Executive Director of ISPS Handa said, “On behalf of my Chairman Dr Haruhisa Handa, our gratitude goes to the Sentebale team, the Aspen Valley Polo Club, the players, and all the other sponsors and spectators who made this event possible. It’s been a true platform to showcase how the ‘power of sport’ can bring us together, to make a difference in the lives of the children in Lesotho and Botswana who need your support as they overcome the challenges that come with HIV and AIDS. Our thanks to ISPS Ambassador and Rugby Legend Dan Carter, for representing us and for being the incredible voice of the ‘power of sport’ making a positive difference in the world. To The Duke of Sussex, he is, as ever, the ultimate inspiration and we salute his unwavering commitment in being the light of hope to those who are suffering around the world, and we look forward to benefiting from his vision and insight for many years to come.

Lesotho and Botswana, have the second and fourth highest HIV infection rates globally. The road to ending AIDS as a global health threat by 2030 continues to experience gains and setbacks. In Botswana, rates of adult HIV prevalence have been halved in the last 20 years and, in what the World Health Organization has called a “remarkable achievement”, the country is on its way to becoming the first African country to eliminate mother-to-child transmissions of HIV. In 2021, Lesotho met the UNAIDS targets of over 90% of people living with HIV knowing their status, over 90% enrolling on treatment and over 90% of those on treatment with viral load supressed. Botswana and Lesotho show that the virtual elimination of HIV is within sight and is possible. Yet for the past two-and-a-half years, young people and their families having to navigate two global health pandemics – COVID-19 and HIV/AIDS. It has compounded many of the social challenges facing children and young people and exacerbated existing inequalities. Adolescent girls and young women continue to be exposed to risky behaviours and practices in efforts to provide security and a livelihood, there has been a rise in early and unintended pregnancies and gender-based violence cases across Lesotho and Botswana, and Sentebale youth advocates have reported a decline in mental health and wellbeing amongst their peers due to increasing levels of unemployment and a lack of youth-friendly information and services available.

The funds raised from this year’s Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup are essential to ensuring the progress made in recent years is maintained. Sentebale’s holistic package of support for vulnerable children and young people focusses on four key areas: strengthening the social and emotional wellbeing of those living with or affected by HIV; working with communities to provide young people with access to health and social services; driving youth advocacy to improve health, education, and social protection; and building individuals skills and livelihoods so they are more resilient, self-confident and empowered members of their communities. This layered approach is supporting positive health outcomes, improving access to education and services, and is nurturing children and young people to thrive.

Sentebale is enormously grateful to all the players and partners for their support in making this year’s event possible including, title sponsor, ISPS Handa, team sponsors Royal Salute and U.S. Polo Assn., venue hosts, Aspen Valley Polo Club and The St. Regis Aspen Resort.

www.sentebale.org

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex plays polo during the Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup 2022 on August 25, 2022 in Aspen, Colorado. © Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Sentebale

Dinner speech by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup 2022:

“Thank you, Dan, for the kind introduction.

Good evening everyone! We are delighted to be back in Aspen on behalf of Sentebale, supporting our vital work with children and young people across Southern Africa whose lives have been affected by extreme poverty, inequality, and HIV/AIDS.

I want to give a special thanks to our title sponsor and partner, ISPS Handa, whose commitment and support of our work started back in 2014. Midori is an avid supporter of our work and we are so grateful for Dr Handa’s belief in our mission.

Thank you also to Royal Salute for your continued support, you’ve been with us for many years and the Sentebale Polo Cup wouldn’t be the same without you. It really is amazing how far Malcolm and others will travel for your whiskey!

Thank you to The St. Regis, for your exceptional hospitality and enduring partnership; and to the U.S. Polo Assn. who truly embody what ‘polo for good’ is all about. Special thanks from Sentebale to Michael Prince for your support too.

Finally, I especially want to thank Melissa and Marc Ganzi for being the most incredible hosts – and friends – of Sentebale. Thank you to everyone who has played their part in making this year’s event possible – those of you who have given up your time to play, and those of you from our charity team who have come all this way to ensure a smooth and successful event.

Before I continue, I’d like to take a minute to acknowledge a great loss to our polo community. Many of you know by now that our friend Chevy died unexpectedly and tragically earlier this week. Many of you played with him, and I remember taking the field with him back in 2019 at the Royal Charity Polo Cup.

Chevy was taken far too young. He was accomplished both on and off the pitch as the former captain of the England Under-21 team, as a brilliant leader in the healthcare industry, and as a renowned philanthropist who played a vital role in getting Malaysians vaccinated during the pandemic. He and his wife are expecting a baby soon and were planning to take some time to celebrate their family’s joy after this week. Whatever support you can give Chevy’s wife I know will be so well received.

I found a quote that Chevy gave a number of years back that I wanted to share with you. He said, “Some people are simply just happy with what they’re doing. But personally, I believe I’m here in this world to do something that’s hopefully beneficial. I want to leave behind a legacy – a good and positive one.”

Let’s make sure his words stay with us and guide us, not just for this week, but every day as part of our busy lives

My dear friend Prince Seeiso and I founded Sentebale 16 years ago in honour of our mothers, with a mission to support many of the most vulnerable young people on the planet – and to give them care and help them thrive.

In Sesotho, the language of the Basotho – the word Sentebale means “forget-me-not”. Next week is the 25th anniversary of my mother’s death, and she most certainly will never be forgotten. I want it to be a day filled with memories of her incredible work and love for the way she did it. I want it to be a day to share the spirit of my mum with my family, with my children, who I wish could have met her.

Every day, I hope to do her proud. She was tireless in her work to support and destigmatise those experiencing HIV/AIDS. Fittingly, her favourite flowers were “forget-me-nots”.

I hope we can remember my mother’s legacy by recommitting to those we serve, whoever and wherever that may be. For Sentebale, our commitment is to ending HIV and providing meaningful care and support for the children and young people whose lives have been affected by this disease. Because they too will never be forgotten.

We do this holistically, by promoting social-emotional wellbeing, community health services, youth education, and skill-building. Every day, when we see the smiles of the children we serve, we know that the work can’t stop. This is the next generation.

Today, Sentebale operates in Lesotho and Botswana, which have the second and fourth highest HIV infection rates globally. But we’re making huge progress, largely because we listen to and partner with their youth. In Lesotho, we’re meeting UNAIDS targets, and now over 90 percent of people living with HIV know their status, 90 percent of those who know their status are enrolled in treatment, and 90 percent of those in treatment have a suppressed viral load.

In Botswana, rates of adult HIV prevalence have been halved in the last 20 years and, in what the World Health Organization has called a ‘remarkable achievement’, the country is on its way to becoming the first African country to eliminate mother-to-child transmissions of HIV. This is huge!

Botswana and Lesotho show that the virtual elimination of HIV is within sight, and is possible to eradicate.

These gains are remarkable, and are largely owed to the determination and resilience of the Basotho and Botswana people and their communities.

Yet, the fight is not over and we cannot falter now, especially after the past two-and-half years.

During the pandemic, children and their families have had to navigate the hardship of two global health crises – COVID-19 and HIV/AIDS – which have left the communities we serve with a number of complex social challenges to tackle. High levels of unemployment, children dropping out of school, a rise in teenage pregnancies and gender-based violence, and more.

The funds raised from this event will go a long way towards bringing care, hope, and opportunity to the children and families who need it most.

At Sentebale we strive to break generational cycles of trauma and stigma every day. By educating and empowering young people to know their status and to know they can live long, healthy lives while on medication, we aim to end HIV once and for all.

By being here today, you are a part of our journey. So, we thank you. I thank you. And if she were here, I know my mother would thank you too.

Before we eat, I would like to introduce “We Are The Future,” a song and music video created by three inspiring young Basotho artists. It is their story, and their message, that I leave you with tonight.”

Photos by Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Sentebale

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ASPEN, COLORADO: On the 25th August 2022, Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, Co-Founding Patron of Sentebale, returned to the stunning grounds of Aspen Valley Polo Club to play in…

North America, Polo News

SENTEBALE ISPS HANDA POLO CUP 2021 RAISES NEARLY $3.5 MILLION IN CRITICAL FUNDS FOR VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

20. August 2021

ASPEN, COLORADO, USA: On Thursday 19th August 2021, Sentebale hosted the Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup at Aspen Valley Polo Club, Colorado, USA and raised nearly $3.5 million in critical funding for the organisation’s core mission: to support vulnerable children impacted by extreme poverty, inequality, and the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Southern Africa. Under guidance from a leading epidemiologist and in coordination with the local Public Health Department, a reduced version of Sentebale’s annual charity sports match took place for the sole purpose of raising vital funds to support Sentebale’s work.

This year’s Polo Cup, together with The Duke of Sussex’s generous donation, will allow Sentebale to operate at full scale and will mean more children and young people across Lesotho and Botswana will receive essential support, care, and build skills to be more resilient and self-sufficient in the future.

Joining Sentebale Ambassador and Argentine high goal polo player, Nacho Figueras, on the Sentebale Team was the charity’s Co-Founding Patron, The Duke of Sussex. The Sentebale Team battled it out in a round robin tournament against the Royal Salute Team and U.S Polo Assn. Team. The Sentebale Team proved unbeatable, taking the win with a score of 3-0. The Duke scored two goals.

U.S Polo Assn. took second place honours, and Royal Salute was third.

Sentebale is enormously grateful to sponsors and partners for making the day possible; ISPS Handa, Aspen Valley Polo Club, Royal Salute, U.S. Polo Assn., Caribou Club and Long Meadow Ranch Winery.

For more information on today’s event, please read the official announcement on sentebale.org.

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About Sentebale
Sentebale was founded by The Duke of Sussex and Prince Seeiso in 2006. Sentebale means ‘forget-me-not’ in the Sesotho language, representing a pledge to remember the most vulnerable children in the Southern Africa.Sentebale aims to reach children and young people living with or affected by HIV, especially the most vulnerable, who are additionally challenged by issues of deprivation, exploitation, abuse or neglect. Sentebale’s vision is that all children and young people in Southern Africa are empowered, healthy and resilient and are able to thrive.Many of the challenges children and young people face have been exacerbated by COVID-19. More children are dropping out of school and teen pregnancy and gender-based violence is increasing amongst adolescent girls. Sentebale continues to use its experience to adapt and respond to these challenges, ensuring its impact is relevant and innovative.Children and young people are at the centre of Sentebale’s work, ensuring they are listened to and the work is driven by their needs and expectations, protecting their rights at all times. Sentebale empowers young people, ensuring they are safe and confident, able to lead and advocate for themselves and their peers. The work is rooted in values of compassion, respect, sustainability and accountability.Sentebale has now reached the next stage in its development with a new five-year strategy, building on the platform established in recent years whilst responding specifically to the increased needs as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Sign up to receive Sentebale’s latest news at www.sentebale.org

About ISPS HandaThe International Sports Promotion Society (ISPS Handa) was founded by Dr. Haruhisa Handa in 2006 to further the transformative power of sport across the globe. ISPS Handa funds and promotes a wide-range of sporting events in archery, bowling, boxing, football, golf, polo, rowing, rugby, and swimming, with an emphasis on blind and disabled golf, and continues to lobby for golf to be recognised as a Paralympic sport.ISPS Handa believes in the power of sport to inspire and to change society for the better. They are proud supporters of the Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup, which raises funds for Sentebale – the charity founded by The Duke of Sussex, to promote the health and mental wellbeing of young people affected by HIV/AIDS.In addition to many other sporting events globally, ISPS Handa has also been a loyal supporter of the Invictus Games, founded by The Duke of Sussex, since the inaugural 2014 Games.ISPS Handa continues to further these socially responsible causes which adhere to its vision to inspire, create hope, unite and transform.www.ispsinternational.com

About Royal Salute

Royal Salute is an exceptionally crafted and aged Scotch whisky, starting where others end at 21 years old. Created to mark the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and the 21 gun salute that honoured her, the brand is steeped in tradition and proud of its royal lineage, but pushes the art of blending into the modern world with new, innovative and creative blends. Royal Salute is deeply involved in polo – the world’s oldest surviving team sport and a game that is expanding in the modern era and supports more than 15 international tournaments globally.

www.royalsalute.com

www.aspenvalleypoloclub.com

ASPEN, COLORADO, USA: On Thursday 19th August 2021, Sentebale hosted the Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup at Aspen Valley Polo Club, Colorado, USA and raised nearly $3.5 million in critical funding for…