DESERT PALM UAE NATIONS CUP RETURNS FOR THIRD YEAR Thursday, 16 December 2010 20:09

Dubai –  The UAE Nations Cup returns to Desert Palm by Per AQUUM from 10th – 15th January 2011 with four international teams competing from the UAE, Great Britain, Hungary and Pakistan. Each team will be headed by the Patron of Polo for their country and one of their leading players. The total handicap of each team will be between 8 and 10 goals. The UAE team will be captained by their Patron Ali Albwardy, the British team by Shane Younger, the Hungarian team by Andras Tomboll and the Pakistan team by Asif Hafiz.

The qualifying matches will take place daily from Monday 10th January until Friday 14th January, with the exception of Wednesday 12th January which has been designated a rest day. Two matches will be played each day, the first at 3.15pm and the second at 4.15pm. All of the qualifying matches will be open to the public. The final will take place on the 15th January 2010 with the first match being played at 3pm. During the final, the polo viewing terrace of Desert Palm Retreat will be an exclusive ‘by invitation only’ area for guests of the key partners, with His Grace, the Duke of Argyll hosting a VIP after party with luxury brand Royal Salute.

Although tickets for the partners’ terrace are strictly limited, outside supporters and spectators who simply enjoy polo will be able to watch the final from the ‘Polo Lounge’. There will be no entry charge for this area.

The Desert Palm Nations Cup is designed to be a yearly event to celebrate polo in the UAE and highlight the Middle East’s leading polo estate, Desert Palm, as a principle destination in the global polo calendar. The event was launched in 2008 by the world’s number one polo player Adolfo Cambiaso and is organised each year by equus passport. The UAE Nations Cup partners are luxury brands Desert Palm Retreat (host), Royal Salute, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Range Rover and EFG Group with Equestrio as a support partner.

There will also be a Polo Art exhibition “Into the Gold” by Eugenia Laprida showcased throughout the retreat during the tournament. Eugenia’s work moves away from the competitive side of the sport, the speed and the players. Instead she focuses on representing and transmitting what is beyond the match, other factors that determine the sport, and how these factors have transformed it into a lifestyle.