Dubai: “Polo is the perfect combination of beauty and sport. It is more than a simple game, it is a lifestyle,” believes Rashid Al Habtoor, CEO and President of Al Habtoor Trading Enterprises and Chairman of Dubai Polo and Equestrian Club.
Being introduced to the sport 23 years back by polo enthusiast Ali Al Bwardy, Rashid Al Habtoor has done well to be one of the most prominent exponents of what they call the king of sports. “I am addicted to polo. I go to sleep thinking about polo and wake up with polo on my mind. It has taken me around the world,” he admits while quoting Winston Churchill: “Polo is your passport to the world”.
“Today because of polo, I can speak to the son of the King of Malaysia or son of the King of Brunei or be in touch with the most influential people from across the world, from Buenos Aires to Beijing,” he says.
Next weekend’s 10th hosting of the famed Julius Baer Dubai Beach Polo Cup 2014 at Skydive Dubai on April 11-12 is going to be a very special occasion for the Al Habtoor scion as he tells Gulf News:
GULF NEWS: Since its inception in 2004, you along with Mamemo Productions, have nursed this event as one of the unique polo tournaments of the world. What sort of ambition do you have for this in the future?
RASHID AL HABTOOR: We started small and now our sole ambition is to get better: Last year was incredible with some grand polo taking place with the iconic Burj Al Arab as a backdrop. This year we’ve got better with the shift to the Skydive Dubai site. For the first time we will be playing under floodlights. This change in timing has been deliberate as the temperatures were too high last year and not best suited for polo.
Why did you settle for Skydive Dubai?
Well, to start with it’s an amazing and fantastic location. I believe it is among the best locations in the world for an event like this. I am convinced it will be a great location and a great venue for our tournament in the years to come.
What will be the schedule like this year?
We will start welcoming guests by 4.30 pm and the first game will be at 6 pm and the second one at 7.30 pm. This will be much better for the spectators, the players and the horses. This move will give the tournament a completely new and fresh atmosphere.
How do you think you can further raise the profile of this competition?
One of the ways will be to change the format. Last year we had two patrons and one professional. I am in favour of playing two pros and a patron in each team as this will ensure the tournament level will get better and the profile will go up. However, I do realise that by playing two patrons we will give them the opportunity of being part of the event as they are the ones who spend the money, and it’s just fair to give them this chance.
What does a tournament like this bring for Dubai?
Our tournament is being organizsd under the auspices of the Dubai Sports Council, which means we have the full backing of the Government. This event brings prestige to the UAE and we believe this is a fantastic public relations exercise for the nation. It is no surprise therefore to see various sponsors such as Julius Baer backing our event. We would like all of our patrons to be in a win-win situation. On a big polo field people can’t see what is happening. But beach polo is surprisingly more audience friendly as the field is 100 x 50 metres. This gives a wonderful opportunity for sponsors, media and audience as the sport gets closer to them all. I would like to see some more private companies come forward to sponsor.
In a country where football takes prominence, how do you think polo can survive?
It has to do with parents and the media. While the parents have to push their children to go and play, it is the media who has to back competitions and give it due publicity. However, we have to also recognize the fact that polo is an expensive sport. So if there are families who can afford polo then I would encourage the parents to push their kids to take up the sport.
There is talk of beach polo shifting to new locations including Cape Town and Shanghai. How will such a move help?
There is the concept like beach polo called polo in the park elsewhere in the world. But when it comes to such concept tournaments, it is not an easy task as there is the issue about the horses. Today, because of the Dubai initiative we have beach polo being played in nearly 30 cities around the world. Next year we plan to have six teams here and we also harbour the big aim of hosting the official World Cup for Beach Polo in Dubai in 2015. We are not in a hurry. We wish to grow step by step.
