Malaysian polo scores a place on the world stage

Malaysia will once again raise the bar for competitive sports at an international level.  Malaysia has been chosen as the venue of the FIP (Federation of International Polo) Polo World Cup Zone D Qualifying Tournament in June 2011. 

Royal Malaysia Polo Association of Malaysia president DYTM Tengku Mahkota Pahang, Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah announced today that Malaysia had won the bid to host this premier event over a two week period in 2011. The RMPA (Royal Malaysian Polo Association) will play host to eight teams from the areas of Asia, Australasia and Africa. Among these teams will be Malaysia’s own RMPA 1 Malaysia, already making its mark in various regional tournaments and test matches.
 
“This will be a tremendous boost for the country. This opportunity to host demonstrates how much we have achieved in a relatively short period of time. Our facilities meet the high standards demanded of such an event. We intend to show that Malaysia can meet and exceed the needs of such world-class events and that we will do so with our usual warm hospitality,” DYTM explained.

On hand for the announcement was Mr. James Ashton, President of the Federation of International Polo. Ashton has seen the Malaysian polo scene grow and develop in the last 20 years, having played the game at Royal Pahang in the 1980s. Ashton’s understanding of the local polo scene allowed Malaysia to approach the bid with confidence. Also at the event was FIP Ambassador Asad Jumabhoy.  He is the FIP appointed Tournament Director of the 2011 FIP Polo World Cup Zone D Qualifying Tournament.  His first-hand experience with Malaysian polo, both as a player and as a patron, is seen as a tremendous boost for our national team.

“This event will push Malaysia to improve its performance in polo and take us to new heights. To meet the needs of the tournament, we will have to enhance all aspects of the sport and we hope to also develop talent in this area. This game has been part of the national landscape for over 200 years and this will be our chance to take a significant step forward,” DYTM also said.

In November 2009, a delegation led by DYTM Tengku Mahkota Pahang travelled to Buenos Aires, Argentina to bid for the chance to host this event. The delegation had the support of the Malaysian government and also had a letter of support from Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak. With such strong encouragement, the Malaysian delegation also expressed a desire to host the FIP Polo World Cup Final in 2014.

For now, Malaysia must set its sights on preparing to host eight teams from Australasia, Africa and Asia in the FIP Polo World Cup Zone D Qualifying Tournament next year.  In addition to providing polo ponies for the entire tournament, accommodations for teams and officials, RMPA would provide professional stewarding, umpiring, game and TV commentators, veterinary & medical services, liaison staff, transportation, stabling facilities, prizes and all the support services required for an event of this calibre.