The Polo Charity Cup for Hassadah : A thrilling tournament to come
… And a burst of generosity for a hospital like no other in Jerusalem…
The Polo Charity Cup for Hassadah is the second tournament of the spring trilogy happening in the Polo Club of Chantilly, and gather six “medium-goal” teams, so an excellent level of game where amateurs encounter professionals.
This last weekend marked the kick-off of the Polo Charity Cup for Hassadah with qualifying games during the weeks and weekends up until the final on the 7th of June. Six teams then, will try to take over from the Parisians of Sainte-Mesme, last year’s winners.
Talented player to keep an eye on, the young Martin Aguerre (handicap 6) is with no doubt the key player of the Swiss team Marquard Media-La Victoire : a spectacular competitor who will play alongside his Swiss captain Tommy Rinderknecht, handicap 0, and two handicap 3, Felipe Llorente and Ramiro Zavaletta.
A must see, as the pleasant return of the racehorse trainer in his favorite team, In The Wings, André Fabre, who hired a brilliant Argentine handicap 7, Juan Ambroggio. Interesting team with Ian Gallienne, handicap 0, and Christian Bernal, handicap 5, at their side.
It’s a strong comeback from two winners of the recently finished tournament, the PGH Cup. Clément Delfosse and Robert Strom team up again for the Wolf Club team. Two great French talents, respectively handicaps 5 and 4, ready to maintain their momentum. Hugues Carmignac, handicap 1, and Sébastien Sorbac, handicap 2, complement the team.
The only feminine presence in this tournament is hold by no one less than Caroline Anier, French professional player who has been handicap 4 in the United-States for a while, and handicap 2 nowadays. She will play under the colors of Le Pommeraye, along with Derek Smith, also handicap 2, Ignacio Kennedy, handicap 3, and Jota Chavanne, handicap 5.
Los Nocheros, the German team, will be carried by no one less than Valentin Novillo Astrada, member of this great family, winner of the Open of Argentina in 2003. As a support, he will be surrounded by his captain Philip De Groot, handicap 1, Sebastien Schneberger, also handicap 1, and Santiago Zubiaure, handicap 4.
Finally, the number one French, Brieuc Rigaux, handicap 5, has chosen to play again under the colors of the Swiss team Lynx Polo Team, like last year. Playing at home (coming from Apremont and trained at the Polo Club of Chantilly), he is associated with the Swiss Cyrille Costes, handicap 0, Thierry Vetois, handicap 3, and Ernesto Trotz, handicap 4 whose father was one of the great players during the XXth century, multiple-winner of the Open of Argentina.
Therefore, it will be two Swiss teams (Marquard Media-La Victoire and Lynx Polo Team), one German (Los Nocheros), and three French (In the Wings, Wolf Club and Le Pommeraye) which will compete against each other in this high level tournament that promises excitement and which will end on a high note with a festive and charitable day.
Apart from the sporting side, it is also a tournament under the sign of generosity to benefit the Hadassah Foundation that defines the Charity Cup. The Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, founded in 1939 on the Mount Scopus, is a reference, allowing Palestinians and Israelis, Muslims and Jews to access medical cares regardless of their religion. This is the first medical institution in the Near East nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005 in recognition of his commitment to human values and Jewish-Arab cooperation.
The Foundation will be honored during the final on June 7, with a day dedicated to generosity. After an auction and the final of the Polo Charity Cup, the day will end with a concert by the trio L.E.J. In addition to raising funds (all profits are donated to the Hadassah Foundation), this exceptional day allows awareness to an important cause.