Players of Ghantoot Polo and Habtoor Polo in action during the first day of the Gold Cup at the Al Habtoor Polo Resort and Club.

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Ghantoot Polo started the campaign with an easy win over Habtoor Polo 12-9 as the 12th edition of the Gold Cup (18-goal handicap), the most prestigious cup of the Dubai Polo Gold Cup (DPGC) Series, off to a perfect start at the Al Habtoor Polo Resort and Club on Tuesday.

Ghantoot Polo's debut game in the Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series 2021 was against Habtoor Polo. The first chukker was on almost equal footing having two goals each from Facundo Sola and skipper Nasser Al Shamsi and a penalty goal from Pablo Llorente. Ghantoot Polo took off at the second chukker with three goals from Marcos Araya and they kept their lead until halftime.

With seven minutes left on the clock, Habtoor Polo tried to close the gap in scores but their rivals Ghantoot Polo maintained an upper handas they delivered runaway goals that sealed their first win in the tournament.

The Gold Cup is being held under the patronage of Sheikh Maktoum Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai.

Earlier in the opening match of the tournament, Bangash Polo faced IFZA-Mahra Polo. The first match of the event showed strong gameplay from Bangash Polo team with the opening goal from Benjamin Panelo followed by another from their patron - Haider Bangash. The following chukkers saw IFZA-Mahra Polo team struggle to close in on the 5-goal lead of Bangash by halftime.

The golden chukker for IFZA-Mahra Polo was on the fourth as the team demonstrated an amazing comeback with four consecutive goals from Isidro Strada and the scores were tied at 8 goals. The last chukker was a race for the win with the Bangash Polo team defending and extending their lead until the end at 12 goals to 9.

Eight well renowned polo teams in the region are taking part in the competition. International Free Zone Authority (IFZA) as the title sponsor powers this years’ Dubai Open. The Gold Cup is recognized and certified by the World Polo Tour (WPT) and has grown in parallel with the city of Dubai. It is the only tournament in the UAE (along with the Dubai Silver Cup and Dubai Challenge Cup) carrying this accreditation by WPT.