2014 Fortune Heights Snow Polo World Cup

For the third year running, the Fortune Heights Snow Polo World Cup 2014 started yesterday, January 8 at the Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club in Tianjin, China.

Asia’s first and only snow polo tournament and the largest of its kind in the world, the Fortune Heights Snow Polo World has the following teams competing: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, England, France, Hong Kong China, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain and the USA.

The 14 – 16 goal handicap teams will compete over ten match days. During the group stage, every team will play three games of three chukkas each, four teams will be eliminated, with eight progressing to the quarterfinals. The final will take place on Sunday 19 January.

The opening contest starred the champions of 2013, Hong Kong China, taking on Spain, newcomers to the Snow Polo World Cup. Behind the strong performance of Guillermo Terrera, the highest-ranked player in the competition at 8 goals, Hong Kong came out on top 6 to 4.

The second match was Chile versus Australia. The South American side started well, scoring direct from the throw-in and following up with a well worked second, the yellow jerseys of Australia unable to reply. Chile sealed a resounding 4 – 0 victory, with Matias Vial claiming three of his side’s goals.

The final match of the day saw England, the losing finalists from 2013, against newcomers Mexico. The Mexicans boasted a true legend in their ranks – Carlos Gracida – once one of the world’s finest players ranked at ten – goals for over fifteen years. But the youth, power and indoor polo experience of the England side proved too much for the Mexicans, winning 5 to 1.