The northern hemisphere winter polo circuit ends in the Gulf, and this year it closed with an event that is a little different from the usual club tournament. The End of Season Cup at the Al Habtoor Polo Resort and Club in Dubai was the final fixture of the 2018-19 calendar, and it was won by Sotogrande.
Teams named after polo capitals
Rather than sponsor names, the five teams carried the names of famous polo centres: Sotogrande, Chantilly, Palermo, Palm Beach and Cowdray. It is a neat idea, and it gave the week a pleasing flavour of an international match, with Spain, France, Argentina, the United States and England all represented by name if not by passport.
Play ran from Monday 22 to Wednesday 24 April. The opening day went to Sotogrande, who beat Cowdray 3-1, while Palermo beat Palm Beach 4-2. On the second day Chantilly beat Palm Beach 4-1. The final, on the Wednesday, saw Sotogrande beat Chantilly, and the match report gives a narrow margin of one goal. The sources we found give slightly different final scores, so we will leave it there.
The subsidiary final
Palermo, Palm Beach and Cowdray played a round-robin for the subsidiary prize. Palm Beach beat Palermo 3-2, while Cowdray beat both of them and finished on top of that small table.
- Winners: Sotogrande.
- Runners-up: Chantilly.
- Most Valuable Player: Noor Abu Khadra.
The awards were presented by His Excellency Humaid Bin Drai, founder and chairman of Bin Drai Enterprises.
Why Dubai matters
Dubai has become one of the sport’s major winter bases. The weather is kind from October to April, the facilities are first rate and the club welcomes players from many countries. Events like this one are less about the trophy than about ending the season on a friendly note before everyone heads home for the northern summer.
That summer is nearly upon us, with the English season about to open at Guards and Cowdray. We will be there with the round-ups.
Sources: Al Habtoor Polo Club
