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HRH Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Bin Faisal, Chairman of the General Sports Authority, crowned team Amaala winners of the first ever Desert Polo Championship in AlUla. Nacho Figueras led Team Amaala to a 7-3 Grand Final victory in the two-day AlUla Desert Polo tournament on Saturday against Team AlUla to take Saudi Arabia’s first official polo title – 2020 AlUla Desert Polo Champions.
The tournament was staged in the historic UNESCO World Heritage Site of AlUla and organised through a partnership of the Royal Commission for AlUla and the newly formed Saudi Polo Federation.
Forming part of the Winter at Tantora festival, running from December 19, 2019 to March 7, 2020, AlUla Desert Polo is one of 12 weekends of cultural and sporting activities taking place in the ancient site.
Players from all over the world took to the Desert Polo Arena, including team members of the world famous La Dolfina polo outfit from Argentina including ten goalers Adolfo Cambiaso, Pelon Stirling and Pablo Mac Donough as well as six goal player and the face of Ralph Lauren Black, Nacho Figueras.
The specially built Desert Polo Arena, was situated in the heart of AlUla, an area of historical, cultural and archeological significance and surrounded by towering sandstone outcrops, framing the on-pitch action for the assembled VIP guests.
The third-place playoff was won by Team Al Nahla Bentley with HRH Sheikha Alya Al Maktoum scoring three of the side’s four goals and earning Most Valuable Player, for a 4-2 victory over Richard Mille.
Figueras, who was part of the winning Team Amaala said: “It’s an amazing place with an amazing history, an amazing heritage and an amazing first tournament for the Saudi Polo Federation. I’m very honoured to be here and I’m delighted that we were able to win.
“This country is going through a transformation and there are amazing years to come.”
Saudi Polo Federation chairman, Amr F Zedan, who played on Team Richard Mille during the tournament said: “I see this event as a launching pad for the future. We have big plans for polo in Saudi Arabia that include the establishment of development programmes and the construction of facilities to assist in building a polo infrastructure in The Kingdom.
“We would like to thank all of our guests and players and crucially sponsors for their support here this weekend. It means a lot that our friends from the international polo community are completely on board with what we are trying to achieve.”
Tickets and packages for the Winter at Tontora festival can be purchased on experiencealula.com
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About Winter at Tantora Festival
Winter at Tantora is a festival in AlUla County in North-West Saudi Arabia, a place of extraordinary natural beauty and cultural heritage. Running from 19th December 2019 to 7th March 2020, Winter at Tantora will bring 12-weekends of wonder to the AlUla Oasis, inspired by its spectacular scenery. Home to archeological treasures, natural beauty and magnificent monuments that span millennia, AlUla is set on the ancient incense route between Southern Arabia and Egypt. It became a hub of commercial and cultural exchange because a lush oasis valley ran through it, creating an ideal environment for civilizations to flourish.
About The Saudi Polo Federation
The Saudi Polo Federation (SPF) was established in July 2018 as a means of developing the sport across The Kingdom and establishing international best practice from grass roots to elite levels. Aligned with key government stakeholders such as the General Sports Authority, the SPF works to further establish Saudi polo in a global context, continuing the work already undertaken by Saudi’s private polo patrons on the international stage.
Chaired by renowned Saudi polo player and businessman, Amr Zedan, the SPF seeks to encourage the sport among young Saudi men and women in accordance with the goals set out in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, while reflecting the transformational journey taking place in Saudi Arabia.
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