UAE Polo Team clinch 18th Emirates Open title

Shaikha Maitha’s UAE Polo Team has clinched the 18th Emirates Open Polo Championship International in what was a complete breakthrough for both the teams.

The match was down to the sudden-death tie breaker, where the UAE players, led by the tireless Maitha, held their nerves to prize out a remarkable victory.

UAE and Ghantoot Polo team went head to head in a fierce battle which was tied at the end of the last chukker. Storming through the five chukkers, the match saw a lot of goals scored.

The excitement of the finals was maintained until the last minute.

The winner of the Emirates Cup was decided in the Golden chukker, with Argentine teen sensation, Tommy Panelo delivered the performance of a lifetime to help Shaikha Maitha Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s UAE Polo team overcome a gritty Ghantoot Polo team in a final.

UAE Polo team played with Shaikha Maitha, Tommy Panelo, Fede Pobosky, and Nacho Acuna. Ghantoot Polo team, on the other hand, stood strong with the likes of Bin Dasmal, Bautista Beguerie, Cesar Crespo and Martin Donovan.

Tommy Panelo scored a sensational eight goals, including the ‘golden-goal’ for UAE Polo team. His goal in the sixth and extra chukker at the Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club and gifted a 10 goals to 9 victory to UAE Polo team.

Shaikha summed up the match quite nicely when she said, “This was one of the toughest most enjoyable finals. There wasn’t a point during the game where we felt safe. Minute by minute, play for play, a goal for goal! It was the most competitive, clean, fast, open finals I’ve experienced.

Team Ghantoot is a force, super mounted with a lot of horsepower and the final was a horse race! It was so close, we got the winning goal in the extra chukker,” added Shaikha Maitha.

Tommy Panelo, who picked up the Professional player of the final award, echoed Shaikha Maitha’s sentiments saying, “This is such an amazing feeling. To win such a prestigious tournament is unbelievable. Shaikha Maitha is a great team leader; she continually inspired us to raise our game, from the start of the tournament.

The 2018 renewal of the Emirates Open Polo Championship, a 14-handicap category event, featured five teams – UAE Polo Team, Abu Dhabi Polo Team, Ghantoot Polo Team, Desert Palm Polo Team and Al Habtoor Polo Team.