It’s a case of back to life, back to reality, after Shandur. Well, almost – I managed one Shandur hook on Matias Vial in practice chukkas this week, but that’s about as far as I went.
RSPC prepares to host the 8-goal RSPC Triple Crown in place of the RMPA International League, suspended as a mark of respect to the passing of the Sultan Ahmad Shah, a great man and a fantastic polo player.
The RSPC Classic is the first of three 8-goal tournaments. We have four teams in the RSPC Classic, and five teams in the RSPC Open next month. We are hoping to add a sixth team for the RSPC Triple Crown Final in September.
It is the first time we will be playing these summer tournaments without a Royal Pahang team. So long the backbone of Malaysian polo and the International League, we are adjusting to life without them. That we have four to six teams is a good start.
With afternoon rain recently we have scheduled mostly morning matches. The RSPC field has taken a battering with 56 chukkas played on it over the last four days. So going to Taman Ekuestrian Putrajaya is going to be a real blessing, especially for the players who rely on their stickwork.
It is nice to see a new team in La Familia Windhorse, with Jennifer Too and Datin Nurul playing with Chilean World Cup winner Matias Vial and Argentine debutant to Malaysia, Nacho Ithurburu.
La Sarita made a change to include Nicolas Petracci, who had a good RSPC League tournament in June. Booking Abdul Rashid could prove to be a masterstroke for La Sarita. Rashid has been playing very well and recently turned professional.
In Thai Polo, Dato’ Zekri joins Dato’ Harald Link for the first time. Carlos Pando returns for another Malaysian season, and will pair for the young sensation Juan Manuel Garcia Grossi, still on 2-goals.
Imran Moiz is slated to play with his father, Dato’ Mohamed Moiz, but Cupita is standing by as Dato’ Mohamed has injuries to a knee and his back.
Here are the teams and schedule for the RSPC Classic:
