Metropolitan Intervarsity Polo 2014 – ‘The Cambridge Challenge’ Is On At Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club

Metropolitan Intervarsity Polo 2014 – ‘The Cambridge Challenge’ Is On

At Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club

 

Metropolitan Intervarsity Polo 2014 – The Cambridge Challenge began today at Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club. The five-day event, which will be held on 13, 16, 17, 19 and 20 July 2014, will see teams from the world’s most prestigious universities go head-to-head for a chance to be crowned this year’s champions of Metropolitan Intervarsity Polo.

 

Teams competing in the event last year included the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, Harvard University and Yale University. This year the tournament will include two additional university polo teams, with the University of London and Stanford University also preparing to swing their mallets in the exciting five-day event.

The tournament, which is now in its second year, has become an integral resource in the promotion of the elegant and historical game of polo among China’s youth. The Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club is keen to use this platform to encourage more interest and enthusiasm in the game of polo, as well as provide an opportunity for academic, cultural and social exchanges among representatives from universities, as well as local students and parents. For many, polo is fast becoming more than just a game, but a way of life.

 

The annual event attracts large groups of university alumni, many of whom have flown in from their home countries to support their alma maters in Tianjin. The sidelines are also frequented by VIP guests, international polo experts and media. Guests are able to enjoy the games from the comfortable garden seating or inside one of the air-conditioned marquees, where refreshments are served throughout the chukkas. 2

 

At last year’s event, Cambridge managed to scoop the final prize, following a fierce battle with Harvard. This year, anticipation is high to see whether they will be able to secure their title for another year.

 

Polo, one of the oldest team sports in history, received a fresh injection of excitement on the first day of the tournament, after an impressive show of passion and skills from some of the world’s rising polo stars.

The first match of the week saw Yale take on newcomers to the tournament, the University of London. The two teams battled closely through the first three chukkas. After a strong start, with Reda Shetty scoring in the first minute, the London team struggled to find their way through the posts in the second chukka, as the Bulldogs defense managed to keep London scoreless until the final few seconds. The second half saw some aggressive play from both sides. Unfortunately for the Yale Bulldogs, London found their offense in the last chukka, scoring four points consecutively, with Natascha Hedegaard scoring an 80-yard shot. The final result secured London a 10-7.5 victory over the Bulldogs. Following the match, Shetty said that he was disappointed at the high number of fouls, but confident that the new addition to the team, due to arrive tomorrow, will present them with a better chance against the tournament’s favoured teams, Cambridge and Harvard.

 

Under clear blue skies and a warm sun, guests marvelled at the skills and precision of the elite equestrians. After a short interval, players from two of America’s most celebrated universities mounted their horses to go head-to-head. The young Harvard team took on tournament newcomers, Stanford, looking to make up for a disappointing loss in last year’s tournament. Harvard, giving two handicap points to Stanford, took a demanding 4-2 lead in the first chukka. Harvard finished off Stanford 11-4, displaying their determination for a first-place finish in this year’s tournament. After falling short to Cambridge in the final last year, promising young player, Johann Colloredo-Mansfeld, said he is looking forward to challenging the current champions. Johann said he and his team mates are feeling confident about their level of play, but feel “it is important to keep a cool head and continue to play well”. 3

 

Spectators and players will take two days to relax, before returning on Wednesday 16 July, when Oxford face last year’s champions, Cambridge, and London will come up against Harvard.

The sun is out, the champagne has been chilled, and the horses are on standby for what is set to be another glorious week of sunshine, good sporting fun, and plenty of divot stomping.

 

Sunday, 13 July 2014

Result: London vs Yale 10 – 7.5

Stanford vs Harvard 4 – 11

		Time			Team			Team
13 July 2014(SUN)	17:00 18:00			London Stanford		vs vs			Yale Harvard
16July 2014(WED)	17:00 18:00			Oxford London		vs vs			Cambridge Harvard
17 July 2014(THU)	17:00 18:00			Stanford Oxford		vs vs			Cambridge Yale
19July 2014(SAT)	16:00 17:00 18:00			Oxford Stanford London		vs vs vs			Harvard Yale Cambridge
20July 2014(SUN)			15:30				5th&6thPlace Match
16:30					Subsidiary Final
17:30					Final