Sport of kings, king of sports ”… The phrase is often used to summarize polo.
To be satisfied is to deny the essence of this unique team sport.
The horse is not only man's best friend in the field, it is also his best ally, his companion in adventure, his indispensable alter ego.
And you have to have infinite confidence in him to gallop at more than 50 km / h behind a small white ball, mallet in hand, in order to score this goal and the legend, with his three partners.
An extremely spectacular discipline, polo will be exhibited from June 10 to 20 at the Polo Club de Chantilly in the enchanting setting of the eponymous forest, with a new innovative event: the Polo Rider Cup.
Polo has its place among the great sports.
It's a great show, a real show.
Olivier Godallier
The first edition of this competition launched by Olivier Godallier (Game Polo) and Benoît Perrier (Polo Club de Chantilly) will pit twelve teams of clubs from all over the world to compete in what is akin to a club world cup. Known for by the international federation and the French federation, the Polo Rider Cup will present to the French public some of the best players in the world, especially Argentines, divided into French, German, Swiss, American, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Argentinian teams. . Twelve clubs, eight countries, three continents, men, women, fathers, mothers, sons, brothers, all players, all enthusiasts, all capable of embarking on infernal cavalcades from one end to the other of the field, all (more or less) ready to competeagility to tame the ball with this long but small mallet.
Polo requires total commitment Evelina Jakovlevskaja
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The polo has its place among the great sports, details Olivier Godallier, including football, basketball and motorcycles.
It's a great show, a real show.
It's physical and it gives great matches.
He has a very high-end sports image, reserved for the rich, but it's a real struggle.
And this Polo Rider Cup must serve to democratize its image, to attract young people.
The goal is to broaden its audience and show that it is not reserved for an elite.
"
Horacio Areco, the boss of the international federation, confirms the importance of this new meeting:"
We want to use quality, world-class polo events like the Polo Rider Cup to leave a lasting impression and provide the people who participate, from players to spectators, an unforgettable experience.
"
"We must continue to reach out to the public, by creating activities, by developing polo schools everywhere, by democratizing our sport"
Jean-Edouard Mazery
Divided into two groups and four zones, the twelve teams will play, from Thursday 10 June to Tuesday 15 June, a first qualifying phase (with three matches per day at 11:30 a.m., 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.), before playing the semi-finals on Friday June 18 (3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.), the final on Sunday June 20 (3 p.m.) and classification matches on Thursday June 17 and Saturday 19 June. “
The best clubs in each country have answered the call. This recognition is a real success. The competition is pleasing. And we already know that we will be able to accommodate sixteen clubs for the next edition,
”adds Olivier Godallier.
Failing to "
play big
Polo must use this new competition to attract a wider audience and attract more and more young people, women and players looking for thrills to its fields. This Polo Rider Cup is the ideal event to continue its exposure and develop its notoriety. "
We must continue to reach out to the public, by creating activities, by developing polo schools everywhere, by democratizing our sport
", confirms Jean-Édouard Mazery, president of the French polo federation. And passionate, like so many others, of this very special sport which requires a strong heart, but not only, to shine.
