Bin Drai Polo wins the Dubai Challenge Cup
31th March 2017, DUBAI, UAE: Bin Drai Polo Team won the Dubai Challenge Cup after defeating Habtoor Polo in the final by 9 goals to 8 in an exciting match enjoyed by a huge crowd at the Al Habtoor Polo Resort.
Patron Saeed Bin Drai´s team wins this trophy for the second year in a row to close the fourth tournament of the Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series 2017.
Bin Drai and Habtoor Polo played a great match, with high polo level and full of excitement till the last seconds of the game.
Team made up by patron Saeed Bin Drai, Gregorio Gelosi, Francisco Elizalde and Raúl Laplacette started the final in a great shape achieving a 5-0 difference in the first two chukkers.
Despite of the big gap in the score, Habtoor Polo, with 10 goaler Nicolás Pieres leading the team, kept the necessary calm to stay in the game and slowly started the comeback.
Patron Mohammed Al Habtoor´s team showed a great performance from the third chukker onwards to close the gap to one goal. But Bin Drai, despite of the pressure in the score, kept a great teamwork and with Francisco Elizalde “on fire” maintain the lead.
In the last minute of the game Habtoor scored and had the chance to tie the match, but finally Bin Drai achieved the victory by 9 goals to 8 to lift the Dubai Challenge Cup for the second year in a row.
Francisco Elizalde was the MVP of the final and mare Capacidad, owned by Nicolás Pieres and played in the 3rd and 5th chukker, was the Best Playing Pony of the final.
Faris Al Yabhouni, Abu Dhabi Polo Team patron, was the amateur top scorer of the tournament with 9 goals.
Match progression:
Bin Drai: 4-0/ 5-0/ 5-3/ 7-6/ 9-8
Zedan Polo Team defeated Abu Dhabi by 11 goals to 9.5 to claim the Subsidiary Cup of the Dubai Challenge Cup. Zedan superstar Pablo Mac Donough was the top scorer of the match with 7 goals.
Match progression:
Zedan Polo: 2-0.5/ 5-2.5/ 8-4.5/ 11-7.5/ 11-9.5
Dubai Cup- Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series 2017
From Sunday 2nd April till Friday 7th, the Dubai Cup, the last tournament of the Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series 2017, will be held at the Al Habtoor Polo Resort.
Four teams, from 6 to 8 goals handicap, will be taking part of this tournament that will start next Sunday 2nd April from 3pm at the Al Habtoor Polo Resort.
The teams of the Dubai Cup 2017 are: Habtoor Polo, Mahra Polo, Dr. A-Bangash and Wolves Polo.
About The Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series
Founded by Mohammed Al Habtoor in 2009. Since inception the Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series has grown from strength to strength. Today, it is ranked among the best polo tournaments in the world. Now an 18 goal handicap competition, it is the highest handicapped event in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. It was first recognized by the World Polo Tour (WPT) in 2012. Three years later the WPT upgraded the tournament from Challenge Cup to the highly coveted WPT Cup, providing winners with 80 points. In 2017 the Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series moved to its new home ground - The Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club, a state-of-the-art development devoted to equine sports.
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT
Dubai Sports Council:
Dubai Sports Council is the official government body responsible for the development of the sport sector in the Emirate of Dubai. Under the Chairmanship of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and its 14 Board Members; the Council supervises the work of nine local clubs in Dubai, six of which practice a variety of individual and or team sports, such as football, handball and archery; in addition to the chess club and a club devoted for those with special needs.
Since its inception in 2006, with the vision of creating a unique sporting community, the Council organizes various annual major Sports Championships and Conferences, in cooperation with multiple International/National sports bodies and Dubai Government Entities, such as the Dubai International Sports Conference, Samsung Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup and the FINA Diving World Series; in an attempt to enhance the culture, knowledge and expertise of professionalism in all aspects of the field; from the overall preparation and/or execution of the event.
Dubai became the first Arab and Middle East city to host the Sport Accord International Convention in 2010, and stages the annual Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award, the most prestigious Award of the Middle East Region. Though the Council works on various major international sports events, it does not overlook the importance of spreading the awareness of a healthier, more active lifestyle locally; and in order to achieve such objectives, physical activity programs and initiatives, such as the Dubai Pulse Physical Activity program, the Furjan District Championships and the Dubai Beach Soccer League, have all been designed to target the various communities within the Emirate.
