2010 Polo International Club Series, London Vs Bangkok

July 21^st 2010. The second leg of the polo ‘International Club Series'.

The Bangkok polo team flew into London to complete their European qualification match against The London Polo Club (LPC) playing for The International Chairman's Cup 2010, represented by Nicholas Coloquhoun-Denvers, Chairman of The London Polo Club and Vichai Raksriaksorn, Chairman of the Bangkok Polo Club (BPC).  The game took place on an idyllic summer's evening and the match was controversially won by BPC 8 - 5, after making two late substitutions to their team.

Two of the Bangkok resident players were unable to play, so the Bangkok team captain, Top Raksriaksorn, put forward two late substitutions which was contested by The LPC team captain, Adolfo Casabal.  Peter McCormack, Polo ICS Director, made a ruling under HPA rules:

"Double Substitution. If a player is injured so that he cannot continue to play and, even though a qualified substitute may be available, a team may choose to make a double substitution. The injured player may be replaced by a player of a lesser handicap and another player on the team may be replaced to bring the team back to its original level (but see 2f Player Raised in Handicap). Both substitutes must be qualified and therefore must not have played or be due to play in the tournament."

The game got off to a sticky start as the rival teams tried to score the first goal.  The 0-0 deficit was broken after the first chukka with BPC taking a 2-1 lead.  It was clear to see that BPC settled into the game as a team, increasing their lead into the third chukka by 5-4.  The final chukka was hanging in the balance for either team to break away or level the score.  LPC took advantage of this opportunity and went into 5-5 within the first minute of the final chukka.  Top Raksriaksorn was justifiably named MVP for the match with two spectacular goals to push BPC to a 7-5 lead, followed by the final winning goal by Vichai Raksriaksorn.

Adolfo Casabal, LPC team captain, commented on his team's performance, "I would like to say we had just lost but that would be unfair to the Bangkok team because I feel even playing at our home ground we were deservedly beaten by the better team.  I have spoken to my players and have addressed our match play which needs to be clearly improved before we travel to the series final in Bangkok."

About the Series: two years in the planning and the brainchild of the LPC's Polo Director, Peter McCormack and The King Power-partnerships have created polo's champions league.  The series gives clubs and club members a chance to compete internationally using a league format. Each club will host three matches, one against each opposing city club, with points allocated for home and away wins as well as draws. The tournament will run throughout the 2010 season, culminating with the final in Bangkok in November.  The competition officially launches with four international city club teams; the Bangkok Polo Club (BPC)), the London Polo Club (LPC) and the Moscow Polo Club (Moscow Polo Club). Teams from other international destinations are signed up to join the exclusive series, with four more international cites for 2011.  The series is set as a maximum handicap 8-goal tournament, with each team limited to just one professional player, whose handicap must be no more than 5. Teams must be made up of 3 amateur members from the club they represent; with 2 of the 3 being a national of the country they represent.