Abu Dhabi and Desert Palm clash in polo final

Ghantoot ADS Securities eliminated after three-team penalty shoot-out

they have improved with every match, beating UAE Polo Team and Ghantoot ADS Securities.

At the end of the three rounds of qualification matches at the Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club, Abu Dhabi, Desert Palm and Ghantoot ADS Securities all finished on four points from two wins each forcing the penalty shoot-out ruling.

Abu Dhabi and Desert Palm converted all four penalties from the 40-yard and 60-yard mark while Ghantoot’s Guillermo Terrera missed his shot from 60 yards to put his team out of contention for a place in tomorrow’s final.

Earlier on Tuesday, Desert Palm edged out UAE 7-6 while Abu Dhabi continued their impressive run with a dominant 9-7 victory over ADS Securities,

Final qualification matches:

Desert Palm Polo Team beat UAE Polo Team 7-6 Abu Dhabi Polo Team beat Ghantoot ADS Securities Polo Team 9-7 representing the host club. Faris Al Yabhouni, the mercurial patron of Abu Dhabi Polo Team, emphatic winners of the Emirates Open Polo Champion in December, said he was delighted to have led his team to another major polo final.

“We came in to this tournament with the aim of winning it,” he said. “We played positive polo and although we lost the first match, it did not rattle us as we were confident that we could come back strongly and secure a place in the final.

“I credit this achievement to my team. We bond well and understand and believe in each other. Polo is a team game and you need to have the right team spirit in order to succeed and I believe that we have been successful on that front,” Al Yabhouni added.

“This is not an easy competition as the standard of the players in all teams is very high. We respect all our opponents but did not allow them to dominate us. The goal was to gain the upper hand and to keep it.

The official partner of the tournament is Abu Dhabi Sports Council and is presented by ADS Securities.

Maserati, Premier Motors, the official car of the event. is