Dubai: The Dubai-based Al Habtoor Polo Team has lined up a series of high-profile tournaments in the United Kingdom later this season.
It is led by patron Mohammad Al Habtoor, Vice Chairman and CEO of the Al Habtoor Group, who announced earlier this week that the team's campaign for this season will start off with the premium medium-goal tournament on the English polo calendar — the Al Habtoor Royal Windsor Cup at the Guards Polo Club from June 1-7.
This competition has been played at the Guards Polo Club since 1955 and normally features more than 25 teams from around the world. Attracting a high-profile audience, the competition is traditionally attended by Queen Elizabeth II, who presents the winning trophy in the company of Khalaf Al Habtoor.
Joining Mohammad Al Habtoor will be UAE-based players George Meyrick, Guillermo Cutino and Marcos Araya. In case the team qualifies, it will then participate in the semi-finals and the final of the Royal Windsor Polo Match.
The Dubai team's next competition will be the Mint Polo in the Park tournament to be held on June 3, 4 and 5 at the Hurlingham Club in London, where Andrea Vianini and Piki Diaz Alberdi from the Abu Dhabi team will play alongside Mohammad Al Habtoor.
Now in its third year, this tournament will feature six teams from different parts of the world in a new round-robin format with the final taking place on June 5.
Yet another assignment before the Al Habtoor Polo Team will be the Pro Alvear Charity Exhibition Match tentatively scheduled for June 18, which although does not have other teams confirmed so far, regularly features internationally renowned players. The charity match is followed by a high society charity dinner and auction.
The team has further confirmed their participation at the final day of the Al Habtoor Royal Windsor Exhibition Match on June 19, for which the other teams have yet to be decided. This is the fourth time that the Al Habtoor Polo Team has visited the UK for the English polo season.
"Our team is ready and at an exceptional level of fitness right now. I think we have a fighting chance in all of this year's competitions," said Mohammad Al Habtoor.
