WORLD ELEPHANT POLO ASSOCIATION CHAMPIONSHIP 2003
Kathmandu , Nepal 7 th December, 2003
Tiger Tops Tuskers from Nepal are the new World Elephant Polo Champions following their success in the final held on Friday 5 th December at the 22 nd World Elephant Polo Associations Games (WEPA).
The World Elephant Polo Association (WEPA) registered in Nepal in 1982, has established World Championships as an annual invitational event. The games are organized by Tiger Tops on the polo field adjacent to Meghauly airport, on the edge of Royal Chitwan National Park . Each game is played with four a side and consists of two 10-minute chukkas of playing time using elongated sticks often over two meters in length and a regular polo ball. For Organization and Rules of The Game visit www.elepolo.com or www.tigermountain.com.
Tiger Tops clinched the coveted WEPA Trophy by beating Thai Anantara Resorts, 5 goals to 4 in a hard fought final. The Thai team was Captained by Bjorn Richardson, and included Katherine Connor, Martin Cummings, Hugh Bardell and James Carter. Tiger Tops Tuskers Nepal was captained by Kristjan Edwards and included his brother Timothy, Matt Idiens and Sebastian Swarbreck.
The Thai team was leading 4 to 3 in the dying seconds of the match when brilliant team work by Tiger Tops’ allowed Matt Idiens to score from an impossible angle (under Bjorn’s elephant) to take Tiger Tops into the golden goal period. During extra time, there were several near misses from both sides but, Tiger Tops Tuskers’ Matt Idiens, with only a few seconds to spare, passed the ball to Kristjan who made no mistake to score the golden goal. Thousands of local villagers went wild with excitement swarming all over the ground, showering the elephants with sugarcane and bananas. The players received the traditional baptism of Champagne . Matt Idiens, who had saved the day by getting Tiger Tops into the extra time to win, was given the Chivas Regal Golden Moment Award and Bjorn Richardson the Coca Cola Award for the Player of the Tournament.
The defending Champions, National Parks from Nepal , captained by Ram Pritt Yadav, managed 3 rd place after beating Chivas Regal from Scotland , captained by Peter Prentice, with the team including Torquhill Argyll, Raj Kalaan, Camilla Pocock and Oliver Muskar. The local National Park heroes also went on to win the All Nepal Challenge, a match which is played by mahouts on their own elephants, by beating the Tiger Tops Mahouts 5 – 4. As always this was a brilliant game and a real fovourite of the thousands of locals who make up the majority of the crowd.
This year’s finals were the culmination of a fascinating week’s polo which saw Tiger Tops Tuskers beat National Parks in the first semi final, 8 to 7 , a game which also went into extra time and was decided by the golden goal rule. The second semi final was a real surprise as the relatively inexperienced team from Thailand beat Chivas Regal, 7 goals to 4. This result was probably the major upset of the tournament as
The Chivas Regal team were fielding several veteran elephant polo players and had already competed in two finals this year in Sri Lanka and Thailand . They were certainly one of the favourites to take the World Crown. Although playing well, Peter Prentice and Raj Kalaan missed the skills of James Manclark, Chairman and Co-founder of WEPA, and Angad Kalaan, both experienced elephant and horse polo players.
In line with the two-league system at WEPA, the remaining four teams competed for the Chivas Regal WEPA Olympic Quaiche. This prestigious Cup was won 4 – 3 by the British Gurkha Gladiators, Captained by Jonny Williams, with a team that included Peter Sharland, Nigel Lea, Les Simms, Mark Wilson, Guy Harnby and Jamie Seward in a closely contested final against Dom’s Dragons from Hong Kong, Captained by Geoffrey Dobbs (Founder of the Ceylon Elephant Polo Association) with a team that included Tia Rongsen, Steve Weidman, Stine Heiselberg and Albert Bagge. This final also ran into extra time, with Stine Heiselberg from Denmark going head to head with Jamie Seward (not always so “gentle” on the field). Dom’s Dragons, however, did not go away empty handed as they were awarded the Best Dressed Trophy, donated by the British Gurkhas, for their smart white and red uniforms.
The play off for 3 rd and 4 th positions in the Chivas Regal WEPA Olympic Quaiche was won 6 goals to 5 by Ulysses Nardin, the famous Watch Company from Switzerland . This team was Captained by Jim Edwards, Vice-Chairman and Co-Founder of WEPA, and included Andy Pryce, James Lange and Edward Boord, against the International Tigresses, Captained by Celia Temple and a team of several regulars, which included Carolyn Syangbo, Hattie Broadhead, Anna Tara Edwards and Andrea Rushton. The Tigresses however missed their regular key player Margie MacDougal this year, and although disappointed, the Tigresses did well against strong competitors.
One of the highlights of the WEPA Championships 2003 in Nepal was the attendance of the full Band of the British Brigade of Gurkhas. Led by Captain Neil Morgan, the 38 members were resplendent in their uniforms with precision marching and counter marching, leading teams on the field of play and producing wonderful music during the evening drinks and dinners. The Band Sounded Retreat during the performance on the Polo Field at Meghauly. The Band traveled from UK to Nepal to play at several functions and venues and with WEPA honoured at the 2003 Elephant Polo games, to help make the event the best ever yet.
As in previous years, through generous donations from the players and their guests, WEPA raised much needed funds for two charities; The Gurkha Welfare Trust and The House of Hope, an orphanage in Kathmandu, cared for by Ms. Hattie Broadhead.
For further information please contact Carolyn Syangbo |
