The semifinals of the Julius Baer Gold Cup set up with Mahra and UAE taking the last two spots
Mahra and UAE Polo won today ́s matches of the last qualyfying round and completed the draw of the Julius Baer Gold Cup semifinals.
In an exciting afternoon at the Al Habtoor Polo Resort, Mahra and UAE achieved both victories in extra chukker to take the remaining spots in semifinals and will join Bin Drai and Zedan Polo.
Mahra defeated Abu Dhabi by 8 goals to 7 with Isidro Strada scoring the winning goal and Alejandro Novillo Astrada as the mvp and top scorer of the match with 6 goals.
Match progression:
Mahra: 0-1/ 1-5/ 3-5/ 4-5/ 7-7/ 8-7
Same excitement was seen in the match held by UAE Polo and Edrees, also decided in OT with Matías Benoit scoring the winning goal in patron Sheika Maitha ́s team.
After a great comeback by UAE Polo in the fourth chukka, the score remained tied during 14 minutes. The game was decided in the last seconds of the extra chukka after Benoit ́s goal. Lucas Monteverde was the top scorer of UAE and the match with 5 goals.
Match progression:
UAE: 1-2/ 1-4/ 3-5/ 6-6/ 8-8/ 9-8
The Julius Baer Gold Cup will continue next Monday with on match of the Hildon Cup Semifinals. Ghantoot will play against Abu Dhabi at Ghantoot Polo Club.
On Tuesday 8th March, at the Al Habtoor Polo Resort, three matches will be held. First, Julius Baer Polo Team and Edrees will complete the Hildon Cup semifinals.
The Julius Baer Gold Cup Semifinals will also be held at the Al Habtoor Polo Resort on the same day with Zedan facing UAE Polo and Bin Drai playing against Mahra.
Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series (Dubai Open), an 18 Goal Handicap competition, enters its seventh year under the Patronage of HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai. The tournament is now the highest handicap in the UAE.
The Dubai Open has been split into two tournaments. Starting with the McLaren Cup 2016, which runs from Friday January 22, 2016 to Friday February 5, 2016. The second tournament, the Julius Baer Gold Cup, commences on Friday, February 19, 2016 to Friday March 11, 2016.
The Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series is the fourth-largest tournament of its kind after Argentina, the US and the UK. First founded by Mohammed Al Habtoor in 2009, the tournament is the premier regional polo competition of the year, and attracts VIPs, society figures, and senior corporate executives from across the GCC. It has grown in tandem with the city of Dubai and since 2012, it is the only tournament in the UAE to be recognized and certified by the World Polo Tour (WPT).
It is played under the banner of the Hurlingham Polo Association (HPA), with the Gold Cup being played according to HPA rules and the provision of umpires is managed under strict international supervision by the HPA.