The much-anticipated Chairman’s Cup at the Manila Polo Club inside Forbes Park in Makati City returns today (Sunday) after a three-year hiatus amid the pandemic.
“The Chairman’s Cup is a family event that celebrates horsemanship and the unique heritage of the craft. It aims to increase awareness of horsemanship discipline and develop our next generation of riders,” MPC Polo Committee chairman Enrique Anthony Filamor said in an interview.
The event was launched in 2017 and ran for three years straight before it was cancelled in 2020 due to the lockdowns.
As restrictions have eased under the new normal, this year’s Chairman’s Cup showcases the largest set of internationally-based professional players, Filamor said.
“Professionals significantly increase the quality of the game, and therefore the learning opportunities for all our players, as well, especially our young guns,” he said.
“Our young guns continue to get better with each chukker and each game. It is very exciting to see how well they competed locally and internationally since the Cup’s inception in 2017,” he added.
Among the professional polo players coming in are Santiago Laborde, Gregorio Gelosi, Martin Espain, and Nicolas Espain from Argentina.
There will also be a costume parade today, held in partnership with Manila Standard.
“The costume parade features our next generation riders aged 12 and below. We are very optimistic. Before you know it, our young ones will soon be our country’s representatives in international polo and equestrian competitions,” Filamor added.