Top talent on view at Ghantoot

ABU DHABI // The HH President's Polo Cup gets underway tomorrow with a mixture of local and international talent the Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club. The four-team, eight-day event features Argentine players with handicaps as high as seven and Emirati amateurs whose ratings range from zero to two goals. The higher a player's goal rating, the better they are considered to be. "It is great to be a part of this tournament which is one of the most important competitions we host," said Hugo Barabucci, a seven-goal professional on the Ghantoot team and a big-name player of previous tournaments.

"Like all of our games the matches promise to be very tough and very fast. I am pleased to be a part of it and I hope that we will see lots of spectators who want to watch some good polo." All games during the event will be four chukkers long and will start at 5pm, apart from the final which is five chukkers and gets underway at 5.30pm on Friday, April 9, and is free entry. Tomorrow's match sees Ghantoot, led by the Emirati Nasser al Shamsi, take on Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank.

Games will then take place on Monday and then on every other day until the final. "This is the best polo in the UAE and it is being played at the best facilities," said Barabucci. Saeed bin Houfan al Mansoori, the Ghantoot vice chairman, added yesterday: "Everyone is welcome to join us in celebrating the most important tournament of our season and watch some of the best players in the UAE." @Email:[e-mail]