40 ADIYAT RACING PLUS ISSUE 838 Thursday 21 st March 2024 POLO adiyat racing plus.com Manuel Perez picked up the Most Valuable Player prize after leading Bhansali Polo to victory against El Basha in the final of the Dubai Challenge Cup at Habtoor Polo Resort and Club last week. Bhansali, comprising Rishi Bhansali, Perez, Gonzalo Santamarina and Ariel Ponzi, won 6.5-5, managing to hold on to a slender a 1.5-1 lead gained during the first chukka. As the match progressed they went 3.5-3, 4.5-4 before rounding off the scoring at 6.5-5 with a brave effort during the final chukka. The subsidiary final was won by Habtoor who got the better of Power Horse PBS Polo 6-4.5. Habtoor, comprising Khalaf Habtoor, Raja Abuljebain, JJ Diaz Alberdi and Juan Jauretche, had to rally to win after finding themselves trailing Power Horse 1.5-0 and 2.5-2 at the halfway stage of their encounter. Habtoor managed to gain the ascendancy during the third chukka, scoring twice compared to the one goal recorded by Power Horse, which saw the teams enter the final BHANSALI WIN DUBAI CHALLENGE CUP AFTER SEEING OFF EL BASHA IN THE FINAL period 4-3.5. In the final chukka, Habtoor once again scored twice and with Power Horse unable to send the ball between the posts more than once, the match ended with Habtoor winning 6-4.5. Mohammed Khalaf Al Habtoor, Chairman of the UAE Polo Federation, presented the awards to the winners, with Pérez handed the the Most Valuable Player trophy and Azul adjudicated the Best Playing Pony. The Dubai Challenge Cup is one of the five tournaments that make up the Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series. The series also includes the Silver Cup, Gold Cup, Polo Masters Cup and the Dubai Cup. The tournaments are recognised by the World Polo Tour (WPT), ranking it among the best polo tournaments worldwide. The Gold Cup is one of four tournaments in the world to be played in the WPT Championship Cup category, on a par with world-class events held in Argentina, Spain, United Kingdom and the United States. THE DUBAI CHALLENGE CUP IS ONE OF THE FIVE TOURNAMENTS THAT MAKE UP THE DUBAI POLO GOLD CUP SERIES.
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