Stuttering start for City PM Team New York
DEFENDING champions City PM Team New York and IG Index Team Sydney both suffered shock defeats as this year’s MINT Polo In The Park began with a day of upsets.
City PM Team New York’s line-up of Jack Kidd, Henry Brett and Jamie Morrisson lost for the first time since 2009, going down 8-13 to Team Abu Dhabi.
Kidd said: “They’re very experienced Argentine players. They held us in the last chukka; they pipped us in the last. It was a good game and everybody enjoyed it.
“There was a lot of pressure on us as a team as the defending champions. It was the first time that we had been beaten in two years.” In the other surprise result at the Hurlingham Club in west London, last year’s runners-up IG Index Team Sydney came off second best 9-12 against Otkritie Team Moscow.
Zac Hagdoorn, of IG Index Team Sydney, said: “The format here is great fun and we played well, but we didn’t capitalise on our chances.”
Though yesterday may not have gone to plan for the tournament’s two favourite teams, today will see Team Abu Dhabi ride off against Otkritie Team Moscow, defending champions City PM play against Gaucho Team Buenos Aires and MINT Team London face IG Index Team Sydney.
Tickets are sold out for today but there are spaces available for tomorrow’s finale.