PONYLINES
NACHO FIGUERAS AMAALA AMBASSADOR Set to become the Riviera of the Middle East, the Amaala project located along Saudi Arabia’s northwest coast, is an ultra-luxury destination focused on curating transformative personal journeys inspired by arts, wellness, sports and the purity of the Red Sea. Set in the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Nature Reserve, the
CHIEF EXECUTIVE
3,800 sq km, year-round destination will include accommodation, residential villas and estate homes, alongside high-end retail, fine dining and recreation. Nacho Figueras (pictured), international polo player, Amaala advisory board member and Amaala ambassador, has joined forces with the project to guide the development of the polo and equestrian facilities. Polo is an integral pillar featuring several polo fields, a polo clubhouse and stables as well as a polo training academy with state-of-the-art facilities. The clubhouse’s restaurant will be an outstanding culinary experience during matches and events.
ASIA CUP POLO The 19th Asia Cup Polo International Day, held in Jaipur, started in style with a cocktail reception in the Shobha Niwas room at the City Palace, hosted by Asia Cup founder Neil Sen in the presence of the Jaipur Royal Family, with J Oppmann wines and Brimoncourt Champagne. The International match at the Rajasthan Polo Club ground, on 1 February, saw HH Maharaja Padmanabh Singh captain the Royal Jaipur team (Vikramaditya Singh Barkana, Capt. Mrityunjay Singh and Pratap Kanota) and Kwan Lo captain the Singapore team (Lawrence Geogh, Patrick Furlong and Vicky Nihalani). Despite a bright start for Singapore, Royal Jaipur had a 3-2 lead by the end of the second chukka. HH The Maharaja of Jaipur scored three goals for his team Royal Jaipur as they won 7-3. Despite the loss, Furlong’s outstanding play earned him MVP. The 20th Asia Cup is planned in London later this year.
hurlinghampolo.com
RAJKUMAR SINGH
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As I write this, the world has gone into lockdown in response to rising global cases of Covid-19 coronavirus, the impact of which has spread to every household, every business and every sport. In England, it arrived between our seasons, which has, unfortunately, resulted in tournament polo being put on a month’s notice and the Queen’s Cup being moved to follow the Gold Cup. Yet, while England International matches have been cancelled in Australia and Argentina, it is not the first time our beloved sport has been thwarted by crisis and we will get through this. In past years, we have been challenged by some very wet summers delaying serious polo until early June, and have suffered various issues with foot and mouth, sponsorship and visas but we have always come out the other side. The severity of Covid-19 has presented a significant challenge for many sports including polo, but it remains our hope that we will have a worthwhile, albeit delayed, polo season as soon as it is possible to do so. With travel likely to be restricted, the latter half of our season, which has some of our best weather, is ready to provide a great opportunity to play lots of polo. The whole polo community, much like the rest of the world, is working hard to ensure we stay safe and get through this crisis so all those who depend on polo and have supported it for many years can continue to participate in the sport in the very near future.