Qualifying rounds for the World Polo Championship start in Careyes, Mexico
Careyes, Mexico – April 28, 2007
With the absence of the Dominican Republic, the eliminatory rounds of the Zone A of America (Northern, Central and Caribbean) for the World Polo Championship to be held in our country started this Sunday. “El Palacio de Hierro” is the main sponsor
The Caribbean missing team alleged major force motives. The Dominican quartet was being awaited since last Thursday, but early in that morning the Organizing Committee got the news about the team not coming to play the quadrangular which will grant passes to the international appointment for next year.
Ricardo Mihanovich, ambassador of the International Polo Federation and director of the competition, noted the issue, even when he did not inform of the punishments it may carry for the Dominican Polo.
Despite that incident, everything is set up for the dispute, which will start this Sunday. The pass will be disputed between the American, Guatemalan and Canadian teams. The Organization Committee announced that a Mexican team will take the place of the Dominican team at the draw, with the intention of avoiding problems with the game programming – therefore, official quartets will keep their playing rhythm.
Guatemala and Canada start the competence at 4 pm, to lead, at 6pm the encounter between United States and the invited team.
The raffle of horses was carried out this Friday, followed by a ‘stick and ball’ practice, aiming at making the players familiars with the animals and with the field.
Careyes Polo Club has two wonderful fields – one in Bermuda lawn and another in first-quality sand. These two spots are considered among the best worldwide.
The premises of the club, as well as the ones of Hotel Careyes, headquarters of the event, have been object of satisfaction words and phrases by the players, directives and authorities of the International Polo Federation.
Integration of participant teams
United States
With the team of the ‘bars and the stars’ the participation of two young men of Mexican origin stands out – Miguel y Santiago Torres, the last one only with 13 years of age and a promising handicap of 3 goals. The Torres’s have showed a high performance level at the practices.
The American team leaves nothing to chance, so they chose the expertise of the Mexican professional Roberto González Gracida to be the team’s trainer in this eliminatory. He deeply knows the Polo in Mexico and assesses the team as far as horses, field and weather concerns.
Guatemala
This Saturday during the practice, Guatemalan polo player Juan Aguilar fell off the horse spectacularly. However, this had no severe consequence to Aguilar, who is just recovering from a harsh injury produced by a broken collarbone.
Canada
This team is enhanced by the experience of Brandon Phillips and Marcelo Rodríguez Abbiatti, 5-goal players in the handicap, which makes them the best ranked in the rounds.
South America present
For this round the International Federation of Polo has appointed Juan José ‘Juanjo’ Díaz Alberdi and Alberto Garrahan as referees. Both of them are Argentinean and have an outstanding record in the so-called ‘sport of kings’. The expertise of this Argentinean referees includes punished final rounds in the ‘Open Argentinean Polo’, considered as the most important championship worldwide.
Further Information
trejogaray@hotmail.com
fespinosa@nrm.com.mx
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