Inaugural BMW Singapore Beach Polo Championships Ends
The final day of the first ever beach polo event in Singapore on Sunday 5 June on Tanjong Beach, Sentosa Island was a fusion of polo, fashion and fun. Oceania, with a line-up of Rick McCarthy (3), Ali Reda (1) and Lynly Fong (0) defeated Asia, Dick Doolin (3), Satinder Garcha (3) and Ali Namazie (0) with a score of 3½-1. Oceania raced ahead in the first chukka with Reda and McCarthy clocking up 2 goals in the first minute, which posed a real challenge for Garcha and his Asia team. Australian professional Doolin worked tirelessly with his teammates and had a fantastic handle on the ball in some quite deep sandy conditions. The score really didn’t reflect how well the Asia team played. Oceania’s Fong was relentless in her attacking play, giving Reda and McCarthy the opportunity to score their winning goals. They maintained a 3½-0 lead until Doolin made a final dash for the goal to score just as the bell went. Reda was named Most Valuable Player whilst Asshan, an eight-year-old grey mare played by McCarthy, was named Best Playing Pony.
In the Subsidiary Final, The Americas with a line-up of Franciso Guinazu (4), Vinod Kumar (0) and Ang Ban Tong (0), stormed away to win against Europe, Kit Brooks (5), Isabelle Larenaudie (0), Gerry Gan (0) and Olivier Duguet (0), with a final score of 4-1. The game was a fantastic show for the Singaporean spectators as Brooks and Guinazu played plenty of spectacular air shots, akin to a beach volley ball game. Larenaudie, one of only two women in the tournament, played a tough game, but her team just didn’t manage to beat the heat from The Americas. In between the games the guests enjoyed a fashion show from Miss World Resort, local foods and more beach party vibes from top dancefloor DJs. At the end of the games the professional player’s shirts were auctioned off to raise money for charity before the start of the after party. The team shirts went for in excess of 500SGD. Click here to read about the Semi Finals on the first day of the tournament.
Photograph: The BMW Singapore Beach Polo Champions Oceania. By Lucy Wilson
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