Apr 26, 2022 5:50 PM
With less than a week to go before the start of the tournament, the five teams participating in the European Zone playoffs of the World Polo Championship at the Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly have announced their line-ups.
The line-up announcements shed light on the teams preparing to compete. For instance, the Ruiz Guiñazu family will be represented on two teams: Switzerland and Spain. The latter team, led by the talented Spanish professional Pelayo Berazadi, has been recognized by some as one of the strongest contenders in the tournament. "Spain will certainly be our toughest opponent," confirms French contender Robert Strom. The team is made up of players who all have a lot of experience at the top level.
Italy is also a very strong candidate for qualification (note that only two of the five teams will be selected for the final phase of the World Polo Championship). “La Squadra Azzura” has called on two players who are well known in France: Tete Fanelli and Martin Joaquin, who won last year's Coupe d'Or de Deauville alongside the French team's striker Sam Sztarkman, who was named MVP. "Along with Spain, Italy will certainly be the most difficult team to play against, without underestimating of course the quality of Germany and Switzerland," Robert Strom added.
The last time Switzerland participated in the FIP Polo World Championship was in 1995 in St. Moritz. Twenty-seven years later, the Swiss Federation is excited to once again be able to present a competitive team at the World Championship qualifiers. Despite not being the favorite, Germany’s team should also not be discounted from the competition. Their team will be led by Patrick Maleitzke, a player with experience at the top level, especially after competing in last year’s English Gold Cup and the Queen's Cup.
Five days of competition and 10 games will determine which two teams go to Palm Beach for the final phase of the World Championship from October 26 to November 6.
"The World Polo Championship and its qualifiers are increasingly competitive and reflect the values of our sport. We need to strengthen both the top level and amateur polo in order to provide a solid foundation for our sport. And it is with this spirit that we are delighted to contribute to its development by hosting such events," said Jean-Edouard Mazery, President of the Federation of French Polo.
Saturday, April 30
9am ET: Italy vs. Switzerland
11am ET: France vs. Spain
Monday, May 2
9am ET: Italy vs. France
11am ET: Switzerland vs. Germany
Wednesday, May 4
9am ET: Italy vs. Germany
11am ET: Switzerland vs. Spain
Friday, May 6
9am ET: Italy vs. Spain
11am ET: France vs. Germany
Sunday, May 8
9am ET: Switzerland vs. France
11am ET: Spain vs. Germany
Effective Date: Saturday, May 16, 2020
The suspension of USPA Tournaments and Events will be lifted for USPA Member Clubs in locales where hosting polo matches and tournaments is permitted under applicable state and local laws, executive orders and similar decrees. The USPA Member Clubs in these locales are encouraged to follow all such requirements of their state and local authorities with respect to polo operations. In addition, we also encourage all USPA Member Clubs to take the precautions recommended by the CDC. We are preparing a detailed list of best practices for USPA Member Clubs as they return to hosting USPA Tournaments and Events and plan to circulate these guidelines within the next week. We will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation closely and will notify you if we determine a different course of action is necessary.
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