Snowy tournament opening in Kitzbühel
Kitzbühel (POLO+10 –15/01/2016) – The first match day of the 2016 Valartis Bank Snow Polo World Cup in Kitzbühel offered competitive and exciting chukkas to the enthusiastic audience. Further snowfall ensured a wintry atmosphere at the Münichauer Wiese.
All matches of the first day at Kitzbühel had one thing in common: They went down to the wire and got their decisive twist in the fourth chukka. In the opening match team Bernd Gruber and the all-English team Engel & Völkers encountered each other in a highly competitive contest. At the beginning, team Bernd Gruber took the lead, but soon Engel & Völkers caught up and turned the score to 7-5.5 in the fourth chukka. Just 45 seconds before the final bell, Adrian Laplacette scored the 7-6.5 and turned a penalty shot into the 7-7.5 right afterwards, thus securing victory for his team.
In the second game team Valartis Bank with Tito Gaudenzi, Omar Magalje and Pelon Escapite beat team KCC/Gym Entry with Thomas Winter, Wolfram Trudo Knoefel and Agustin Kronhaus by 7-5.5. A competitive game during which more snow began to fall in Kitzbühel, ensuring a wintry atmosphere at the Münichauer Wiese. Due to a lower team handicap, KCC/Gym Entry started with 1,5 goals in advance and the team did not let their opponent gain ground. But in the fourth chukka team Valartis Bank took the lead by scoring two more goals and defeated team KCC/Gym Entry.
The third match also was decided in the fourth and final chukka. Team Audi with Patrick Maleitzke, Magnus Kaminiarz and Horacio Fernandez Llorente led by 5.5-3 at the end of the third chukka. But last year’s winners Sebastian Schneberger, Philip de Groot and Julio Novillo Astrada of team Istra Domizil/ Blackdove did not let them stay on that road to victory. They caught up to a 10-7.5 score and beat their opponents. The “day of fourth chukkas decisions” made clear that several teams are serious contenders for the final.
Tomorrow’s matches will decide which two teams will make it to the final on Sunday. In the first match, starting at 11 am, team Engel & Völkers will meet team Istra Domizil/Blackdove. This will be followed by team Valartis Bank encountering team Audi at 12.30 pm. The third match will see team KCC/GymEntry competing against team Bernd Gruber at 2 pm.
Results:
Friday, 15th January
12.00 pm
Bernd Gruber : Engel & Völkers 7.5-7
1.30 pm
KCC/GymEntry : Valartis Bank 5.5-7
3.00 pm
Audi : Istra Domizil/Blackdove 7.5-10
Schedule:
Saturday, 16th January
11.00 am
Engel & Völkers : Istra Domizil/Blackdove
12.30 pm
Valartis Bank : Audi
2.00 pm
KCC/GymEntry : Bernd Gruber
Sunday, 17th January
11.00 am
Match for fifth place
12.30 pm
Match for third place
2.00 pm
Final match
Program:
