Terra Team Claims Victory at the Expo 2020 Dubai Cup
DUBAI, UAE
The polo exhibition match held in honour of Expo 2020 Dubai concluded with an exciting finish on the grounds of Al Habtoor Polo Club.
Top polo patrons in the UAE gathered to compete in round-robin games under teams that were named after the Guardians of the three districts of the Expo 2020 Dubai site: Terra (Sustainability), Alif (Mobility) and Opti (Opportunity).
Terra team had opened the first chukker with a goal from Mohammed Bin Drai and had positioned itself ahead of team Alif by the end of the chukker. They kept the 2-goal lead until the end of the second chukker that sealed an early win for team Terra.
The next game was between Alif and Opti teams. Guillermo Cuitinho delivered the first goal for the Opti team. Team Alif narrowed the gap in scores during the second chukker with goals from Ignacio Garros and Raja Abuljebain but, the penalty shot from Cuitinho scored the first win for the Opti team at 3 goals to 2.
Before the last game, a twist to the divot stomping tradition - Gold Coin Hunt - had spectators search for unique coins on the field that were worth AED 3,000 in cash and gift items.
The determining match ensued with Terra proving dominance over the Expo 2020 Dubai Cup until the last chukker. By the sound of the final buzzer, the team had ended the game with 3 goals against the Opti team.
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Match 1 Results: 2 - 0 |
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Terra |
Alif |
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|
Player |
HCP |
Player |
HCP |
|||
|
Rashid Bin Drai |
1 |
Khalid Alomran |
0 |
|||
|
Mohammed Bin Drai |
1 |
Haider Bangash |
0 |
|||
|
Mohammed Khalid |
-1 |
Raja Abuljebain |
1 |
|||
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Adrian Laplacette |
6 |
Ignacio Garros |
5 |
|||
|
|
7 |
|
6 |
|||
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Match 2 Results: 3 - 2 |
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|||||
|
Opti |
Alif |
|||||
|
Player |
HCP |
Player |
HCP |
|||
|
Mohammed Al Habtoor |
0 |
Khalid Alomran |
0 |
|||
|
Ahmed Al Sammach |
0 |
Haider Bangash |
0 |
|||
|
Habtoor Al Habtoor |
1 |
Raja Abuljebain |
1 |
|||
|
Guillermo Cuitinho |
5 |
Ignacio Garros |
5 |
|||
|
|
6 |
|
6 |
|||
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Match 3 Results: 4 - 1 |
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|||||
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Terra |
Opti |
|||||
|
Player |
HCP |
Player |
HCP |
|||
|
Rashid Bin Drai |
1 |
Mohammed Al Habtoor |
0 |
|||
|
Mohammed Bin Drai |
1 |
Ahmed Al Sammach |
0 |
|||
|
Mohammed Khalid |
-1 |
Habtoor Al Habtoor |
1 |
|||
|
Adrian Laplacette |
6 |
Guillermo Cuitinho |
5 |
|||
|
|
7 |
|
6 |
|||
Ms. Aliya Bin Masoud, Manager for Special Projects of Expo 2020 Dubai awarded the teams of the exhibition cup, with Mohammed Bin Drai as the Most Valuable Player and his horse, Cruzeiro as the Best Playing Pony. The teams received gifts from Imperial Scentury, Micris Dental Clinic, Wallace & Co., The Bunch Box and Expo 2020 Dubai.
Aside from the polo action, the event held other competitions for its guests. The little ones donned their favourite national costumes and were given gifts from Al Habtoor Riding School, La Perle and Expo 2020 Dubai. The Best Dressed Lady and Gentleman of the day were treated with gift items with a total worth of AED 11,000. Vehicles that were decorated in line of the theme of the event received also received two La Perle tickets.
About Expo 2020 Dubai
Expo 2020 Dubai is the first World Expo ever hosted in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region. Through its theme of Connecting Minds, Creating the Future, it aims to host a World Expo that inspires people by showcasing the best examples of collaboration, innovation and cooperation from around the world.
