World class players promise top polo action at season's final tournament

• Beach Polo Cup 2014 marks 10th anniversary of unique polo concept

Spectators at this weekend’s Julius Baer Beach Polo Cup 2014 presented by Cadillac will be treated to a feast of furious beach-side polo as some of the world’s best players take to the sand for a two-day spectacle of the sport at its best.

The Beach Polo Cup concept, created ten years ago in Dubai by mamemo productions, takes on a new dimension with teams playing out their rivalries under floodlights for the first time. The tournament is supported by Dubai Sports Council.

Four teams of three players will vie for supremacy on the specially-created Beach Polo Arena, located for the first time at the impressive Skydive Dubai complex, in Dubai Marina on Friday April 11 and Saturday April 12. While international competitors are flying in, many of those on the pitch will be familiar foes, having clashed during the UAE polo season this winter, adding to the underlying sense of rivalry that exists among the UAE’s close-knit polo playing community. 
Indeed, some will even be family members, meeting for the final time in the domestic polo season, further heightening tensions in the arena.

Julius Baer Team, the title sponsors, have it all to play for, having claimed the 2013 Beach Polo Cup. They are led by team patron, Rashid Al Habtoor, the chairman of Dubai Polo Club. A vastly-experienced international player, who plays off a zero handicap, Al Habtoor is joined on the field of play by his son, Khalaf Al Habtoor, also a zero handicapper. The hugely-talented and renowned Argentine professional, Juan Cruz Guevara, rated six, makes up the threesome.

The Julius Baer side’s Al Habtoor duo face hot competition from another Al Habtoor father-and-son combination, representing the VistaJet Bombardier Team. Patron Mohammed Al Habtoor (0 handicap) and Habtoor Al Habtoor (0) are joined by six-handicapped player, Guillermo Cuitino in their bid to wrestle the champion’s trophy from the other branch of their family.

Maradiva Team, made up of patron, Saeed Bin Drai (0), Mohammed Bin Drai (0) also boast the skills of Argentine, Nico Petracchi, a six-goal player and a regular on the UAE polo scene.

Also on the hunt for silverware will be Swiss player, Piero Dillier (0) the patron of the Lindt Master Swiss Chocolatiers Team. He is joined by compatriot, Dr Thomas M Rinderknecht (0) and Lucas Labat (6) from Argentina.

A pre-tournament public parade, taking place at 4pm on Wednesday April 9 will feature some of the ponies and players who will compete over the weekend. Starting at the top of The Walk at JBR and passing the Ritz Carlton, a Cadillac car and the Dubai Police supercars will provide a guard of honour. Members of the public are encouraged to attend.

This year’s renewal of the Julius Baer Beach Polo Cup 2014 presented by Cadillac may be staged on a beach, but no expense has been spared in preparing the best possible surface for the equine stars of the show. Twenty truckloads of sand will be shipped to the venue where it will be packed, watered and built up, layer upon layer until it is twelve layers thick to create a suitable playing surface.

“This year’s beach polo venue has been purpose-built to offer our guests a unique polo experience. This is not only show off the skills of the players to the best advantage, but also to provide the best facilities we can to the ponies who are the event’s real athletes,” said founder and mamemo production Managing Director, Sam Katiela. “One of the goals when we developed beach polo ten years ago was to showcase the attributes of Dubai as a destination for premium sporting events like this one. Part of this is to create a stage equal to show we are delivering, making the sport as accessible as possible to the people of Dubai.

Daniel Savary, Head of Eastern Mediterranean, Middle East and Africa, Bank Julius Baer, said: “We are once again pleased to return as title and team sponsors for the prestigious Julius Baer Beach Polo Cup. As the leading Swiss private bank with a longstanding heritage of providing the highest quality of services, an important part of our focus has been to support activities globally that mirror the values we have embodied since our inception. Polo symbolises these attributes of tradition, team spirit and excellence, and we have also chosen to support the sport here because we recognise its value to the community in the UAE. To this end, our sponsorship of the tournament for a second consecutive year showcases our continued commitment to the country, and we look forward to another successful event."

Tickets for the full weekend cost just Dh75, while day tickets are Dh50 and are available from www.platinumlist.ae. Tickets are also available on the day.
Guests are recommended to arrive from 4.30pm and to take public transport to the venue.