MANILA, Philippines – Having tested foreign competition, GlobalPort takes its act a notch higher when it competes in the US Open Polo Championship on Wednesday, March 26 (Thursday, March 27, Manila time) in Wellington, Florida.
The first Philippine-based team to join the sport’s most prestigious event, the crew led by Mikee Romero, faces a tough climb in the group stage after being drawn in Bracket I which will be pitted against the group of death Bracket II.
Two former US Open champion teams banner Bracket II in La Dolfina Tamera and Park Place, with La Dolfina set to provide the first acid test to GlobalPort on the opening day of the $100,000 tournament.
Joining Romero in GlobalPort Polo are world No. 4 Bartolome Castagnola, Beltran Laulhe, Lucas Diaz Alberdi and substitutes Nico Escobar and Santos Merlos.
“Luck of the draw again. We are up against a bracket of death. Against two former champion teams of the US Open. First game against La Dolfina Tamera, headed by considered to be the GOAT of polo or the Michael Jordan of Polo, Adolfo Cambiaso,” said Romero, the outgoing 1Pacman Partylist representative.
After La Dolfina Tamera, GlobalPort will tackle BTA on Sunday, March 30, before it wraps up its group assignments against Park Place, another former US Open titlist, on Saturday, April 5.
“Our game against BTA would be the highlight of the day, but it will just be the start of a tough climb as we battle Park Place next which is a former champion,” said Romero, the godfather of Philippine amateur basketball in 2007.
GlobalPort is coming into the US Open riding the crest of a championship in the Sterling Cup, where it toppled defending champion Maltese Falcons in a 12-11 overtime victory in the Finals.
GlobalPort also participated in the Gauntlet of Polo, a trio of 22-goal championships that included the US Open. It reached the semifinals in the Whitney Cup and finished with a 2-2 record in the group competition in the ongoing US Polo Association Gold Cup.
Joining GlobalPort in Bracket I are Clearwater and La Dolfina Catamount
No matter what happens in the US Open, GlobalPort is already assured of a place in Philippine sports history. Its participation in the US Open is a testament to its growing influence in international polo especially in the Asian region.
And Romero is the first Filipino player to do so.
World No. 1 player Adolfo Cambiaso Jr. banners La Dolfina Tamera with teammates Alejandro Poma, Diego Cavanag and Matt Copola. It is coming off a title run in the CV Whitney Cup last month.
Park Place is the overwhelming favorite having won the just-concluded US Gold Cup.
Led by world No.6 Hilario Ulloa, Park Place, which is also composed of Andrey Borodin, Louis Hine, Mariano ‘Peke’ Gonzales Jr. and substitutes Gabriel Crespi and Nicolas Sivori. – Rappler.com