Zedan’s Nachi Heguy in seventh heaven

Saudi Arabia’s Zedan Polo looked a class act in their HH President of the UAE Polo Cup clash with Desert Palm on Tuesday, emerging the 10-4 winners.

Argentine, Ignacio 'Nachi' Heguy, the highest-rated player in the tournament with an eight-goal handicap, proved his worth by scoring seven times, three in open play and four penalties over the four chukkers.

Zedan’s patron, Amr Zedan also got his name on the scorecard, scoring three in open play.

Meanwhile Matias Machado and Martin Valent combined to score Desert Palm’s five goals, with Machado responsible for two and Valent claiming the remaining three.

ADCB and Bin Drai played out a close game, which saw Bin Drai snatch the lead in the final stages of the 6-4 match.

ADCB went into the third of four chukkers, leading by two goals, but Bin Drai, who had scored one penalty in the first chukker, found their rhythm in the third period, scoring three to go ahead by one goal.

Jorge Cernadas scored once more for ADCB in the final chukker bring the score to 4-4, but Bin Drai’s Tomas Iriarte found the goal twice more and with ADCB unable to reply, the match ended 6-4.

ADCB’s Bruno Tassara said his side was disappointed to have lost such a tight match.

“Every match counts in this tournament and it is a shame to lose after an early lead but we won’t dwell on this defeat. Now we look ahead to our next match and what we have to do to win that one.”

Thursday’s matches will see Bin Drai take on Sumaya and Ghantoot Land Rover versus Zedan

The HH President of the UAE Polo Cup is held under the patronage of Sheikh Falah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, chairman of Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club.

This year the event features two groups showcasing the talents of emerging Emirati players as well as high-goal professionals from Argentina. Umpiring the matches will be two officials who have presided over matches at the highest level of polo – the Argentine Open in Buenos Aires.

The President’s Cup grand final will take place on March 30 with free family activities, picnic area and Carluccio’s corporate hospitality and restaurant. All games including the grand final are free to attend and open to the public.

The event is presented by Abu Dhabi Commercial bank and the Official Car is Land Rover Premier Motors. It is supported by Bespoke Italia, Carluccio’s, Fiji Water and Prisa Polo.