Events & Happenings
Beach Polo Cup Dubai to Make Polo Accessible to Everyone
Free access, the first female player and a Holiday Christmas Market; this year’s tournament has evolved to appeal to a wider audience
Closing out the Year of Zayed in style, this year’s Beach Polo Cup Dubai kicks off on Thursday, and is looking to encourage a new audience alongside the tournament’s long-term supporters, and get more people playing polo.
With the first female player in the tournament’s 9-year history and free entrance into the Shams Public Zone, the organisers are looking to build on the previous years’ success and shed the sports ‘traditional, male-only’ image.
Held under the Patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Sports Council for the 4th consecutive year, the Tonino Lamborghini Residences Dubai Beach Polo Cup Dubai 2018 Presented by Oriental Pearls will take place on 13 and 14 December at Skydive Dubai.
The Dubai Sports Council is a long-term partner of the event and His Excellency Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council said, “Polo has been around for more than 2,500 years, but we can proudly say that the beach version of this ‘sport of kings’ was born here on the sands of Dubai, thanks to the vision of Gaby and Sam Katiela. They launched this tournament in 2004 and the Beach Polo Cup Dubai has kept growing since, taking the sport to a much larger audience.
“As long-term partners of the event, we at Dubai Sports Council are really proud to see this tournament turn into one of Dubai’s premier sporting events and we look forward to another successful edition of the Beach Polo Cup Dubai.”
“Dubai is on a mission to be the most active city in the world and we want to make our mark supporting this goal,” said Gabriela Noser-Katiela, Event & Tournament Director of the Beach Polo Cup Dubai. “We play Beach Polo on a much smaller field than traditional grass polo, spectators get closer to the players and ponies, and we have many talented players from the UAE, Argentina and across the world competing at the weekend. Beach Polo is fun and entertaining to watch and we hope by the end of the tournament, we have inspired some of our guests to go to their local polo club and ask about lessons.”
“We’re also seeing more women in the region interested in polo and Dr. Sabine Schaffer from Austria is our first female player. Hopefully in the coming years we’ll have an all-female team in the Beach Polo Cup Dubai!” concluded Gabriela.
Sam Katiela, Managing & Creative Director, mamemo, and Founder of the Beach Polo Cup Dubai added, “The Beach Polo Cup Dubai is not only a fantastic event for mamemo, it’s also a great responsibility that we have to reflect the spirit of the nation and reflect the positive energy of Dubai and the UAE. This will be shown through the hospitality, entertainment, venue and world-class polo on offer during the two-day tournament. Everyone will be welcomed with open arms, which reflects the way the UAE welcomes visitors from all over the world.”
In addition to the polo, the entertainment and socialising on offer always attracts a huge crowd to the tournament. Guests will be treated to spectacular entertainment including a half-time show with horse acts and dressage thanks to Team Z7, and on the final day, The Greatest Show (be there to find out more!). There will also be the tournament’s first-ever Holiday Christmas Market, which will be packed full of unique and stylish gift ideas from small businesses across the UAE.
Fans need to register online at www.800tickets.com beforehand to get their free admission to the Shams Public Zone. There will be food outlets and premium beverages available to enjoy and free entry into the legendary after-parties at the VIP Majlis Zone, where everyone dances into the night concluding both days of polo action. If visitors are looking to make it an extra-special polo weekend, tickets to the VIP Majlis Zone are also available to purchase via www.800tickets.com and include F&B and premium beverages.
For further information and ticket details for the Tonino Lamborghini Residences Dubai Beach Polo Cup Dubai 2018 Presented by Oriental Pearls, please visit www.beachpolocup.com. To follow the build-up to the tournament, visit the dedicated Instagram page, BeachPoloCup.
This Is Beach Polo. This Is How We Play.