Ghantoot Polo Team vs Habtoor Polo Team @ Dubai Gold Cup 2013

Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club
Date: 8th of March 2013

 Ghantoot Earn Semi-Final Spot Despite Golden Goal Defeat in Gold Cup Polo

Royal Club Lose 8-7 To Defending Champions Habtoor

Dubai 8th of March 2013: Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club will meet Bin Drai Polo in
the Dubai Gold Cup semi-final on Monday, despite this afternoon’s (Friday).golden
goal defeat to Habtoor Polo at Dubai Polo and Equestrian Club.
After being deposited from the Dubai Silver Cup by a golden goal at the semi-
final stage last month, Ghantoot will not have good memories of extra time in this
tournament.

Initially the Abu Dhabi-based side gained the early lead, finishing the first period with
a one-goal advantage. Habtoor’s Nacho Bello opened the scoring but it was not long
before Ghantoot’s Juan Zubiaurre and Facundo Sola scored to end the first chukker,
2-1.

The second chukker saw Sola score twice more, while Mohammed al Habtoor and
Ezequiel Martinez notched for Habtoor. Going into the decisive third leading by 4-3,
Martinez swiftly converted two early penalties before Habtoor teammate, Guillermo
Cuitino buried a neck shot to take the home side into the lead by a single goal, 6-5.

Cuitinho proved his neck shot was no fluke, by scoring another in the fourth chukker
to extend his side’s lead to 7-5 but Ghantoot fought back courtesy of a fine goal from
Zubiaurre to bring them within one goal of their opponents.

It was the Royal Club’s top scorer, Sola who claimed the equaliser to send his team
into extra time.

And it was Habtoor’s Bello who sunk Ghantoot’s hopes of breaking their golden goal
curse in this event.

Ali Al Marri, Ghantoot’s Emirati star was upbeat.

“We lost today but we can take a lot of good things from this match,” he said.
“First of all we are in the semi-final so it didn’t affect our progression in this event.
Secondly, we were able to fight back from two goals down to get level and earn a
fifth chukker and I think that demonstrates the kind of commitment and passion that

we play with at Ghantoot.

“Now we will be putting that golden goal behind us because all our energies will be
focused on the semi-final on Monday against Bin Drai. Our objective all along has
been to get into the final of this tournament and that has not changed.”

ENDS

For more information kindly please contact:

Emma Kreiter
Marketing Manager

GHANTOOT RACING & POLO CLUB

Phone  +971 (0) 2 562 90 50 / 203 
Fax +971 (0) 2 562 91 63 


Mobile  +971 (0) 50 3299558 / E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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