Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club announced the complete schedule for the Sultan Bin Zayed Polo Cup, which will start on the 26th of this month at Ghantoot Club, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Falah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club, and its competitions will continue until the fourth of February.

The announcement of the establishment of the second championship came during the press conference held by the club at its headquarters yesterday, in the presence of Saeed bin Hofan Al Mansouri, Vice Chairman of the Club’s Board of Directors, Hamad Abdul Rahman Al Shaikh, Executive Director of the Club, Chairman of the Organizing Committee for the Championship, and a number of officials and players.

Al-Mansoori opened the conference welcoming the attendees, stressing the club’s keenness to organize the tournament in its second edition, in memory of the late Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, may God rest his soul, and in gratitude for his role and contribution to supporting the heritage of the UAE in various fields, and that the conclusion will witness a special celebration based on the The directives of His Highness the club president entitled (Loyalty to the People of Giving).

The opening round of the preliminary round matches will witness two matches, the first between Bin Drai Polo and Ankora Polo, while the second will meet Sarissa and Abu Dhabi Polo, provided that the second round of that stage will be on the 29th of this month, and the third on the first of February, while the closing ceremony will be held on the fourth of February. The organizing committee also approved the program of the closing ceremony, in accordance with the precautionary measures adopted in accordance with the health instructions in the country

ABU DHABI: Ankora edged past Abu Dhabi in a thrilling final of the Sultan Bin Zayed Cup, which took place at the Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club on Monday.

The nail-biting clash saw both the teams battle hard until the dying minutes of the game where Ankora finally emerged winner after overcoming their rivals 6-5.

The inaugural edition of the Sultan Bin Zayed Cup was held under the patronage of Sheikh Falah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club, in memory of Sheikh Sultan Bin Zayed.

Sheikh Sultan was younger brother of the President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who served as the President’s Representative and died in 2019.

HE Saeed Bin Hoofan Al Mansoori, Vice Chairman of Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club, Zayed Khalifa Zayed Al Aboudi Al Zaabi, Executive Director of Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club, congratulated the winners as they were crowned by HE Aref Al Awani, General Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, and attendance of HE Amr Zedan, Chairman of the Saudi Polo Federation.

Earlier, in the subsidiary final, riding high on Ramero Cordero’s impressive four goals, Ghantoot B beat Anningsley Park Farm Polo — 7-6.

The Abu Dhabi Sports Council was the governing partner of the tournament in collaboration with Emirates Polo Association, while Capex.com, Yas International Properties LLC, Yas International Holding, Alpine Rent A Car, Zone Waste Management and Recycling, Ateeq Farriers Best Choice, Midad Printing and Advertising, Amal Foods, and Wisdom Veterinary Medicines were the official sponsors of the Sultan Bin Zayed Cup.

Numbers of fans watched the action live through Ghantoot Polo and Racing Club’s YouTube channel, while the Abu Dhabi Sports channels broadcast the final live.

Related links

• Sultan Bin Zayed Polo Cup 2021 videos
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A dominant Abu Dhabi team continued their red-hot form as they defeated Ghantoot A to enter the final of the Sultan Bin Zayed Polo Cup, being played at the Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club.

The inaugural edition of the Sultan Bin Zayed Polo Cup is being held under the patronage of Sheikh Falah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club.

The tournament is being held in memory of Sheikh Sultan Bin Zayed, younger brother of the President; His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who served as the President’s Representative and died in 2019.

With Hugo Barabucci and Elena Venot spearheading the attack, Abu Dhabi gained the upper hand after quickly establishing a lead which they never relinquished during the entire match. Continuing his fine form, Barabucci scored two more in the third chukker to help Abu Dhabi stretch their lead to 5-2.

Ghantoot tried to stage a comeback when Ali Al Marri and Yosuf Bin Desmal Ghantoot scored in the last chukker, but it was too late.

Venot’s superb field goal proved to be the last nail in the coffin as Abu Dhabi secured the ticket to the final with a 6-4 win over their rivals.

The dynamic duo of Barabucci and Venot combined for six goals, leading Abu Dhabi to another victory at the Sultan Bin Zayed Field 2.

In the other semi-final, Ankora routed RA Noon 8-3.5 on the Sheikh Zayed Field. It was an easy win for Ankora, thanks to the impressive offensive performance of Ricardo Garros, who scored five goals, while Ankora’s superb defensive skills held RA Noon to just 3.5 goals.

Garros was well supported by Khalid Alomran, who scored a brace.

Abu Dhabi will take on Ankora in the final scheduled to be held on Monday. In the subsidiary final, Ghantoot B will face Anningsley Park Farm.

The Abu Dhabi Sports Council is the governing partner of the tournament in collaboration with Emirates Polo Association, while Capex.com, Yas International Properties LLC, Yas International Holding, Alpine Rent A Car, Zone Waste Management and Recycling, Ateeq Farriers Best Choice, Midad Printing and Advertising and Amal Foods are the official sponsors of the Sultan Bin Zayed Cup.

Fans can catch the action live through Ghantoot Polo and Racing Club’s YouTube channel, while the Abu Dhabi Sports channels will broadcast the final live on Feb.1.

On Sunday, the participating polo teams will compete and exert their best efforts to give their best as the third round matches will determine the competition’s semi-finalists of the inaugural edition of the Sultan Bin Zayed Polo Cup match at the Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The Sultan Bin Zayed Polo Cup’s first edition is being held under the patronage of Sheikh Falah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, chairman of Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club. The third round that is scheduled for Sunday will feature three polo matches between the following teams:

• Abu Dhabi vs. RA Noon — 2:00pm
• Anningsley Park Farm vs. Ghantoot Polo Team A — 3:30pm
• Ankora vs. Ghantoot Polo Team B — 5:00pm

During the second round, Ghantoot B team won against Anningsley Park Fam by the score of 7.5 over 6. RA Noon edged past the Ankora team with the same score of 7.5 over 6, and Abu Dhabi routed Ghantoot A team with the score of 5 over 1. Both RA Noon and the Abu Dhabi polo team have secured their second consecutive wins and boosted their chances of qualifying for the semi-finals.

The Abu Dhabi Sports Council is the governing partner of this tournament in collaboration with the Emirates Polo Association. For the official sponsors of the polo tournament, Capex.com, Yas International Properties LLC, Yas International Holding and Alpine Rent A Car.

The Sultan Bin Zayed Polo Cup matches are being held behind closed doors as part of the polo club’s way of following the UAE’s coronavirus precautionary and preventive measures. Inspite of this, polo fans can still watch the action live through the club’s Youtube channel. Moreover, the Abu Dhabi sports channels will broadcast the final event live on February 1.

ABU DHABI: The inaugural edition of the much-anticipated Sultan Bin Zayed Cup kicked off at the Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club on Tuesday, with Ankora, RA Noon and Abu Dhabi opening their campaigns on a winning note.

The tournament is being organised in memory of Sheikh Sultan Bin Zayed, younger brother of the President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who served as the President’s Representative and passed away in 2019.

Taking place under the patronage of Sheikh Falah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club, the opening day saw Ankora lock horns with Ghantoot Polo A in the first match of the tournament.

Ankora dominated the proceedings from the beginning with Ricardo Garros scoring in the fifth minute to put his team ahead. He put another through the post following an impressive 30-yard centre field penalty shot. Tomas Iriarte then added another as Ankora ended the first chukker with a 3-0 lead.

Juan Diaz Alberdi opened the account for Ghantoot A, but Iriarte and Garros added two apiece to their individual and team tally, while Ryyan Al Ajaji contributed another as Ankora cruised to a comfortable 8-2 win.

In the second game, RA Noon defeated Anningsley Park Farm 8.5-6. RA Noon took an early lead when Bautista Alberdi was on target in the second minute.

Anningsley Park Farm, however, were quick to erase the deficit, marching downfield from a knock-in to tie the game at 1-1 on a goal from Pablo Llorente.

RA Noon gained the upper hand, led by the efforts of two field goals from Alberdi. They stretched the lead after Tuki Ruiz and Rashid Al Falahi contributed one each.

Alberdi and Falahi combined again for two goals in the third chukker which helped RA Noon extend their lead to 7-4.

Anningsley Park Farm tried hard to bounce back and played an intense last chukker, effectively defending against RA Noon while scoring two goals, including an impressive spot penalty by Llorente, but couldn’t make up the margin.

In the last game of the day, Abu Dhabi beat Ghantoot B team 7-4. After a tense first chukker, Abu Dhabi claimed the advantage in the second chukker with Hugo Barabucci, skipper Faris Al Yabhouni and Elena Venot scoring to give them a 5-2 advantage.

Barabucci, a professional Argentine player, was on target in the next two chukkas to ensure his team’s victory. Ghantoot B’s Abdullah Bin Desmal and Noor Abu Khudra waged a lone battle.

Zayed Khalifa Zayed Al Aboudi Al Zaabi, Executive Director of Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club, said: “It’s a good start to the tournament. We look forward to seeing some exciting matches during their qualification rounds.”

The Abu Dhabi Sports Council is the governing partner of the tournament in collaboration with Emirates Polo Association. Capex.com, Yas International Properties LLC, Yas International Holding and Alpine Rent A Car are the official sponsors of the Sultan Bin Zayed Cup.

Complying with UAE’s COVID-19 precautionary and preventive measures, the Sultan Bin Zayed Cup matches are being held behind closed doors, but fans can watch the action live through Ghantoot Polo and Racing Club’s youtube channel and live transmission through Abu Dhabi sports channels on the final 1st February.

The next round of matches will take place on Sunday.

The Sultan Bin Zayed Polo Cup tournament is being held in memory of Sheikh Sultan Bin Zayed, younger brother of the President; His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who served as the President’s Representative and died in the year 2019. The event takes place under the patronage of Sheikh Falah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club.

Here are the seven teams including the hosts, who will participate in the 14-day-long (with an estimated 4-6 handicap) tournament:

1. Ghantoot Polo A Team
2. Ghantoot Polo B Team
3. Abu Dhabi Polo Team
4. Bin Drai
5. RA Noon
6. Ankora
7. Sarissa Mo

In the opening match of the tournament, Abu Dhabi Polo team will lock horns with Ghantoot Polo B team, which will happen from Tuesday, January 19 at the Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club facility.

The opening match between Abu Dhabi and Ghantoot Polo B will kick off at 2:00pm, while the second match will be between Ankora Polo team and Ghantoot Polo A team. Moreover, for the last match of the day, Bin Drai takes on RA Noon. The final tournament will take place on February 1.

Speaking to Gulf Today: “We are ready. it is going to be an interesting tournament and our team will give 100% on the fields as we know that Abu Dhabi will come hard.”, Nasser Al Shamsi, the captain of Ghantoot polo team, said.

The Abu Dhabi Sports Council will be the governing partner of the tournament in collaboration with Emirates Polo Association. Capex.com and Yas International Properties LLC are the official sponsors of the Sultan Bin Zayed Cup.