Thailand Polo King’s Cup Tournament – Day 3
The teams competing in the Final of the Thailand Polo King’s Cup 2015 are decided
By Victoria Elsbury-Legg
16:00 Tang Polo 10 v 8 Brunei Polo (SPP Field)
17:30 Global Port 5 v 5.5 Ahmibah Brunei (VR Field)
After a slightly delayed start due to traffic, play got underway at the VR Sports Club, Bangkok on Day 3 of the Thailand Polo King’s Cup 2015. Taking to the pitches once again were the team in red – Brunei Polo, with HRH Princess Azamah and HH Prince Bahar playing alongside their team mate from yesterday seven goaler Joaquim Pittaluga in the number 3 shirt and with nine goaler Ignacio Novillo Astrada now at number 4, as guest player from yesterday Pablo Mac Donough flew out to Dubai to fulfil his commitments in the Gold Cup. Yesterday, despite a great battle between the two ten goalers Pablo Mac Donough and Gonzalo Pieres, when Brunei Polo met King Power and made history on the pitches of Thailand playing for the first time in what is now the highest handicapped tournament in Asia, Brunei Polo were not able to prevent King Power from winning their second game of the tournament (11-9.5).
In the first half of another very close game on the SPP Field both patrons HRH Princess Azamah and Shilai Liu played some great goal scoring polo, with Brunei Polo leading by just one goal with a score of Tang Polo 5 v 6 Brunei at the end of the third. In the first minute of the fourth Tang Polo promptly equalised bringing the score level at 6 all. In quick response to Tang Polo’s equaliser, HH Prince Bahar had a great run the length of the pitch to score and regain a 7-6 lead for Brunei Polo. Scores once again drew level at 7 all in the fourth, until in the final minute of the penultimate chukka five goaler Miguel Diaz converted a penalty for Tang Polo putting them in the lead 8-7. Three minutes into the fifth and final chukka in what was proving to be an incredibly close scoring match, HH Prince Bahar scored another fantastic goal for his team once again bringing the score level, this time at 8all. An under the neck shot from the sixty by Miguel Diaz then put the team in yellow back into the lead by a goal with a scoreboard reading Tang Polo 9 v 8 Brunei Polo. It seemed it wasn’t to be Brunei Polo’s match, despite taking the lead in the first half of the game and two great goals from HRH Princess Azamah and three from HH Prince Bahar, it was Temi Wellington who put the last goal of the match through the goal posts, adding to the three scored by patron Shilai Liu, and Tang Polo ended the game the winners at 10 goals to Brunei Polo’s 8. Both teams will now be heading into Friday’s subsidiary finals.
Spectating pitch-side on a rest day following two days of making polo history on the pitches of the VR Sports Club (which saw top Argentine players Gonzalo Pieres, Pablo Mac Donough and Nachi Heguy playing for the first time ever in Thailand), as he watched the match that would decide who King Power would face in the final, Gonzalo Pieres commented, ‘This is my first time to Thailand and Asia and I was expecting to attend a traditional country polo tournament, but instead I entered into what I can only describe as a floodlit stadium with a perfect polo pitch. Asia and Thailand have first-class facilities and I hope we (King Power) win the final on Saturday so I can come back to defend it for Thailand.’
Alongside Gonzalo, Nachi Heguy (playing for BP Healthcare) was also full of praise for the polo facilities at VR Sports Club, describing how it was his also his ‘First time to Asia and Thailand, I was not expecting such a wonderful country and wonderful facilities, especially to be playing on a floodlit polo pitch. This is an amazing experience and I will look forward to coming back again and I would like to see more high goal tournaments played in the region.’
In the second match of the day both Global Port and Ahmibah Brunei were keen for a win, as with each team already having a win to their name it was the winner of this match who would ultimately be meeting King Power in the Thailand Polo King’s Cup Final on Saturday. First to put a goal on the board was Prince Jefri for Ahmibah Brunei and by half time Ahmibah Brunei were leading with a scoreboard reading of Global Port 3 v 4.5 Ahmibah Brunei. Having led for the first two chukkas by three goals, in the third however, Global Port scored two goals to close the score, meaning there was only a goal and a half between each team. By the final chukka Global Port had taken the lead by just half a goal at 5 v 4.5 Ahmibah Brunei, however, the team in white from Brunei were determined to regain not only the led, but the match, which they did winning by half a goal with all fives on the scoreboard – which read Global Port 5 v 5.5 Ahmibah Brunei at the end of chukka number 5, meaning on Saturday a great final will be played out on the VR Field between two teams from Thailand and Brunei.
The final word of the day came from eight goal Marcos Di Paolo who has seen the Thailand King’s Cup tournament develop into what is now the highest goal tournament in Asia, as he explained, ‘This is the third time I have played the King’ Cup in Thailand. The first time I played in the tournament it was 12 goal, it is incredible to see tournaments which were originally played by in-house professionals and some selected guests turn into six nations playing in what is now an international tournament – it is a tremendous achievement for Vichai and his organisation.’
It is certain to be a great final on Saturday at 17:30 (local time) when Marcos, Gonzalo and brothers Apichet and Aiyawatt ‘Top’ Srivaddhanaprabha – team King Power- ride onto the pitch in their shirts of blue to meet the team in white – Ahmibah Brunei (HH Prince Qawi, HRH Prince Jefri Bolkiah, Francesco Bensadon , Ale Agote) at the VR Sports Club for the start of what is guaranteed to be another incredible match between two top international teams in the ‘game of kings’.
Day 4 – Friday 23rd January
16:00 Brunei Polo (5th) v BP Healthcare (6th) (SPP Field)
17:30 Tang Polo (3rd) v Global Port (4th) (VR Field)
Day 5 – Saturday 24th January – Final
17:30 King Power v Ahmibah Brunei (VR Field)
See below for full team list and schedule of play.
King’s Cup Tournament Schedule of Play 2015
Day 1 – Tuesday 20th January
16:00 King Power 9 v 7.5 Tang Polo (VR Field)
17:30 BP Healthcare 6 v 9.5 Ahmibah Brunei (VR Field)
Day 2 – Wednesday 21st January
1600 BP Healthcare 8 v 9.5 Global Port (SSP Field)
17:30 King Power 11 v 9.5 Brunei Polo (VR Field)
Day 3 – Thursday 22nd January
16:00 Tang Polo 10 v 8 Brunei Polo (SPP Field)
17:30 Global Port 5 v 5.5 Ahmibah Brunei (VR Field)
Day 4 – Friday 23rd January
16:00 Brunei Polo (5th) v BP Healthcare (6th) (SPP Field)
17:30 Tang Polo (3rd) v Global Port (4th) (VR Field)
Day 5 – Saturday 24th January
17:30 King Power v Ahmibah Brunei (VR Field)
King’s Cup Tournament 2015 Teams*
*Please note: The King’s Cup is a 15-18 goal tournament, King Power’s team was entered in December when Aiyawatt ‘Top’ Srivaddhanaprabha’s handicap was 0, subsequently, on the 1st January 2015 his handicap was raised to 1, so King Power will play as a 19 goal team. All handicaps will be introduced with goal advantage for less handicapped teams.
Group 1
King Power (19 goals) – Thailand (blue)
1. Apichet Srivaddhanaprabha (0)
2. Aiyawatt (Top) Srivaddhanaprabha (1)
3. Gonzalo Pieres (10)
4. Marcos Di Paola (8)
Tang Polo Club (17 goals) – China (yellow)
1. Shilai Liu (1)
2. Miguel Diaz (5)
3. Temi Wellington (7)
4. Antonino Menard (4)
Brunei Polo Team (17 goals) – Brunei** (red)
1. HRH Princess Azamah (0)
2. HH Prince Bahar (1)
3. Joaquim Pittaluga (7)
4. Ignacio Novillo Astrada (9)
**Please note: In matches played on Wednesday 21st January Pablo Mac Donough (10) substituted for Ignacio Novillo Astrada (9), meaning the Brunei Polo Team was an 18 goal team, in all other games Ignacio Novillo Astrada will be playing.
Group 2
BP Healthcare (18 goals) – Malaysia (orange)
1. James Beh (1)
2. Joevy Beh (4)
3. Garvy Beh (4)
4. Nachi Heguy (9)
Global Port (17 goals) – Philippines (black)
1. Michael Romero (0)
2. Benjamin Urquiza (5)
3. Manuel Crespo (7)
4. Anthony Garcia (5)
Ahmibah Brunei (15 goals) – Brunei (white)
1. HH Prince Qawi (-1)
2. HRH Prince Jefri Bolkiah (0)
3. Francesco Bensadon (8)
4. Ale Agote (8)
Notes:
For tournament info via social media please follow The Thai Polo Association – hashtag for the event is #kingscup2015:
Twitter: @tpa_polo
Facebook Page: Thailand Polo Association
Instagram: Thailand Polo Association