Polo returns to Alabang

All roads lead to the Alabang Country Club on Sunday afternoon as the country’s top players, rising stars, visiting imports and celebrities display their wares in a pair of mallet-to-mallet matches dubbed the HSBC Summer Polo Classic.

If you haven’t been smitten by the Sport of Kings, it’s time you check out what makes polo a heart-stopping, adrenaline-pumping game. There’s a certain air of snobbish class in a polo match – but not the kind to drive you away – and it’s part of the mystique that characterizes the chemistry of rider and horse in a feverish quest to blast a ball with a mallet into a goal marked by posts eight feet wide apart.

Polo is played in nearly 80 countries all over the world and was an Olympic event in Paris in 1900, London in 1908, Antwerp in 1920, Paris in 1924 and Berlin in 1936. The last two Olympic polo gold medals were won by Argentina. In the 1924 finals, Jack Nelson scored a goal in the closing seconds of the final chukker to lift Argentina to a 6-5 win over the US. In 1936, Argentina downed Great Britain, 11-0, for the gold medal. Luis Duggan, Roberto Cavanagh, Andres Gazzotti and Manuel Andrada made up the last Olympic championship team. There is a claim that polo may be the oldest team sport in existence, having been played by nomad warriors over 2,000 years ago.

Today, polo is played professionally in 18 countries – Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Iran, India, New Zealand, Mexico, Pakistan, Jamaica, Spain, Switzerland, UK and USA. In 2007, polo was introduced at the Southeast Asian Games with Malaysia capturing the gold, Singapore the silver and Thailand the bronze. The Philippines failed to finish in the top three in the only polo competition played in SEA Games history.

This Sunday, the doubleheader starts with a 2 p.m. low-goal game to showcase some of the most promising up-and-coming polo players teaming with or opposing the country’s top-ranked riders. Each team is headed by an international higher-goal player. The low-goalers are internationalist Lars Lofgren and daughter Kim, sportsman Mikee Romero’s daughter Milka, actor Diether Ocampo and Fred Borromeo versus Filipino internationalist Ed Lopez, Jam Eusebio, Daryl Matti, Ige Camera and Fila Philippines’ Butch Albert.

The 3:30 p.m. high-goal game features international polo players from Europe, USA and South America as well as the top two Filipino foreign campaigners Anthony and Adrian Garcia. The high-goalers are the country’s No. 1 player Anthony Garcia, Tonio Veloso, USA’s Jim Donovan, film producer Jun Juban and Jun Eusebio versus internationalist Adrian Garcia, Globalport’s Mikee Romero, Mexico’s Isidro Olivas, Santi Juban and Sonny Borromeo.

Games open at 1 p.m. and light refreshments will be available for purchase at the polo grounds. Spectators are encouraged to bring their family and friends to enjoy an exciting afternoon of polo. The event is made possible by the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank.

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Light and sound master Wopsy Zamora held a dry-run of his soon-to-open SuperStar Sports Grill and Bar at the MOA Arena last Wednesday and from the way the guests, including PBA legend Atoy Co, gobbled up the food, the business outlook appears extremely bright.

The place can accommodate up to 200 customers, including those who opt to eat al fresco outside the air-conditioned premises. There’s a VIP section at the far end of the restaurant with a flat-screen TV and lounging sofas, perfect for exclusive private parties or meetings. Zamora, who manages the NU men’s senior baseball varsity, is a hands-on chairman and chief executive officer. His partners are vice chairman and president Manny Sy, chief operating officer Sergio Yu, treasurer and chief financial officer Delfin Wenceslao Jr., vice president for architecture Jose Siao Ling and vice president for public relations Chot Reyes of Gilas Pilipinas.

Aside from the superb menu and ambiance, what makes SuperStar an ideal setting for get-togethers is its unique audio-phasing feature with the Outline speaker system from Italy. Zamora, a sound expert, said the piped-in music can be turned on loud but it won’t deafen anyone from carrying on a conversation.

Zamora said the soft opening is scheduled on April 11 and the actual opening on April 18. He’s confident his staff of 18 will get things rolling in time for both openings. Kitchenware and other equipment are now in place so it’s just a matter of applying the finishing touches before the formal ribbon-cutting. Zamora said SuperStar will be open 24/7 and provide packed food for workers in neighboring call centers as an added service. Traffic is expected to be highest when the MOA Arena stages events.

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Fil-Brit teenager Curt Dizon is in town from London to test the local football waters. Last Tuesday, he attended his first training session with the UFL Division 2 team Agila, the feeder affiliate of Loyola Meralco, under coach Monty Roxas on Ivan Guarina’s invitation. Dizon joined the Division 2 team Union Internacional (UIM) practice at the BGC Turf in Global City last night on Jorge Muller’s invitation.

“We had positive feedback from Agila after the workout,” said Dizon’s father Cris. “The coaches thought Curt was definitely a stand-out player and wished they could sign him up but I told them he’s only here to visit and his priority is to break through in Europe. Curt enjoyed the session with Agila. Before training, we watched the game between Loyola and the Green Archers at the Emperador Stadium in McKinley Hill where the Sparks won, 2-0. Also in the crowd were the Azkals. Curt is now more inspired to try to join the Azkals and will be humbled if one day, he could really make it.”

Dizon’s father said Curt will show up for more workouts with both Agila and UIM before leaving on April 15. “The ball is now rolling and hopefully, when Curt’s time arrives, he will be accepted by the Filipino fans and the Azkals,” said Cris. “I believe his time will come.”