WORLD ELEPHANT POLO ASSOCIATION CHAMPIONSHIP 1985
Tiger Tops is proud to present the fourth International World Elephant polo Association Championship which will be played at meghauly, the Tiger Tops Airstrip, 75 miles south-west of kathmandu from the 10th to 15th December 1985.
As in previous years, this event has attracted teams from all over the world. In addition to the "old regulars" such as Pan American World Airways who have supported the event from its inception in 1980, this year we are welcoming a team from cartier, the paris jewelers and a British Airways Concorde team from London. Cartier is bringing a glamorous list of celebrity players - RINGO STAR, BRAYN FERRY, MARGAUXHEMINGWAY AND BILLY CONNOLLY are expected. The British Olympic 3-day event Team consisting of VIRGINIA HOLGATE, LUCINDA PRIOR-PALMER, DAVID GREEN and HAMISH LENG are playing for British Airways.
The Tiger Tops Tusker, the reigning champions, captained by the Host of the Event and chairman of the tiger mountain group, JIM EDWARDS, will be defending the title in the face of some experienced competition. The Pan AM Jumbo, last year's runners-up will be competing with the British Gurkha Gladiators (Hannibals Own), last year's best dressed team. The Tiger Tops Tigresses, another home favourite, will again be playing and the U.S. Oberoi Ladies Team Will be flying in with BIKI OBEROI from Texas and California sponsored by Oberoi Hotels. The King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation will be bringing its own distinguished players including DR. HEMANTA MISHRA and the Director General of Nature Parks and Wildlife Conservation, MR. B. N. UPRETI. Founder Member and International Chairman of WEPA, JAMES MANCLARK will be bringing, as usual, his own team from Scotland. The 10th team will be made up of enthusiastic visitors.
Press and television from all over the world will be covering the event. In addition to the keep competition amongst the team, a good time is anticipated to be had by all.
Elephant polo rules are based on conventional pony polo. Four people play per side and draw for their team of four elephants, changing at half time. Each elephant is driven by its mahout with a player tied with ropes on to the ghadi, or cushion, firmly secured so that they can not fall off. One referee are the same as pony polo. The polo field is slightly smaller than the full size ground, as elephant do not cover it as fast as polo ponies and each game consists of two chukkas of 10 minutes each, whereas regular pony polo is four chukkas of 7 minutes each. Players wield a polo stick of between 90" to 100", depending on the height of the elephant, and the ball is a normal polo ball. Surprising as it may sound, the game is remarksble skilled and entertaining to watch.
Founded in Jaipur Earlier this century, elephant polo has recently become very popular in Nepal and is now registered with the Olympic Committee. Revived in 1980 by JIM EDWARDS and JAMES MANCLARK, the World Elephant Polo Association Championship has now become a firmly established annual event at Tiger Tops Jungle Lodges attracting international interest, enthusiasm and expertise.
On the 15th December the TIGER TOPS CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY will be contended for in the finals. Pan Am has presented a runner-up CRYSTAL TROPHY and the Cartier Chairman, MONSIEUR PERRIN, is arriving from Paris to present the CARTIER CUP to the team scoring the most goals. THE BRITISH GURKHA SILVER KHUKRI will be presented to the Best Dressed Team and when the champagne is finally popped, another memorable Championship will come to its end.
Further enquiry to:
Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge
P. O. Box 242
Kathmandu
NEPAL
Tel: +977-1- 4361500
Fax No:- +977-1-4361600
Email:info@tigermountain.com
POST EVENT
The Fourth International World Elephant Polo Association Championships reached a gripping final on 15th December 1985 at Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge when the Tiger Tops Trophy was won by the favorites The Tiger Tuskers captained by the host of the event A.V Jim Edwareds. The Pam Am runners up trophy was won by the King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation team who were defeated by a convincing "sudden death" goal scored by Prithvi Ram of the Tuskers team at the end of closely fought match which went into extra time.
It was the climax of five days of a series of hard fought eliminating matches by 10 teams from all over the world, signifying the largest championship yet held since the incepting of WEPA in 1982.
The beautiful Cartier Trophy was won by the Pan Am Jumbos who beat British Gurkha Gladiators (Hannibals Own) in a match between the remaining two semi-finalists. The Pan Am Jumbo captained by Hank Auerbach, last year's runners-up who were defeated in the 1984 finals 1-0 in another very close match, met the British Gurkha Gladiators, the surprise team of the championship who scored five times as many goals as ever before and won through to the semi-final after narrowly defeating the Oberoi ladies in their crucial third match.
The Gurkha Best Dressed Khukri was awarded to the Oberoi Ladies, cheered on by their sponsor Biki Oberoi. It was generally considered to be a close run competition between the British Gurkhas, last year's winner, British Airways Concorde team in their smart red and white and blue uniforms specially designed by Henry Hall and the Oberoi Ladies in their very elegant navy and white outfits.
Their elegance however was no match for the fighting spirit of Tiger Tops Tigresses who defeated them in the Ladies Challenge 2-1 even though Oberoi Ladies were leading after the first chukka.
The Cartier team may have managed only one goal but certainly outstripped their rivals in star quality. Their celebrity team captained by Cartier Chairman, Alain Perrin, who flew in from Pairs for the event and consisted of Beatle drummer Ringo Starr, His wife actress Barbara Bach, Scottish comedian Billy Connolly and Welsh actor and sportsman Max Boyce who was being filmed for BBC special on Elephant polo.
British Airways Concorde team's early promise by holding the experienced James Manclark's Scottish team to a 2-2 draw, leading 2-0 at half time, evaporated when they met the Oberoi Ladies and were defeated 3-0. Nevertheless their team of World Three Days event Champion Lucinda Prior Palmer and her husband David Green, European Champion and Virginia Holgate and Hamish Leng showed great natural talent for the game. The leadership of Concorde captain Colin Morris kept the team's mind on the game despite Virginia Holgate and Hamish Leng being on their much publicised honeymoon having married in Eangland only the week before.
It was generally considered a most successful event and attention is already focusing at the 1986 Championship which will be played 6th - 11th December 1986 at Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge in Nepal.
For Further enquiries:
The Secretary
World Elephant Polo Association
Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge
P. O. Box 242
Kathmandu, NEPAL
Tel: +977-1- 4361500
Fax No:- +977-1-4361600
Email:info@tigermountain.com
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