U.S. Team Faces 11 Countries in the First International Polo Match of 2014

WELLINGTON, Fla. - Jan. 2, 2014 - PRLog -- The first international polo competition of the year will start January 8^th with twelve teams around the world coming to play in the 2014 Fortune Heights Snow Polo World Cup in China. Deemed the largest snow polo tournament of its kind in the world, the event is in its third year hosted by the Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club.

“Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club has set the stage again for another illustrious global polo event,” said Chuck Weaver, Chairman of the United States Polo Association. “We are extremely excited to return for a chance to take the coveted international title.”

The USA team includes Tommy Biddle, Pelon Escapite and Del Walton. Joel Baker is the team coach and manager, and will act as an alternate with a 2-goal handicap rating. The USA team will be competing with 11 teams around the world: Hong Kong, Australia, England, Chile, Mexico, Spain, New Zealand, France, South Africa, Canada and Brazil. Teams consist of three players instead of four, as is typical of field polo. Snow polo is a modern variant of traditional field polo, owing the speed to the smaller playing field and hard-packed snow terrain. The ball is red so as to be visible in the field, and made from inflatable vinyl, making it lighter and quicker than a traditional polo ball.

“The USPA is fielding what we consider a very competitive polo team in a very competitive international event,” said U.S. Polo Association CEO Peter Rizzo.

The Federation of International Polo (FIP) and the Chinese Equestrian Association sanction the 2014 Fortune Heights Snow Polo World Cup. Established in 1982, the FIP aims to promote and enhance the sport of polo globally and unite international polo associations across the world.  The United States Polo Association is a member of the FIP.

For event details, visit www.snowpoloworldcup.com. For more information on international polo, visit www.fippolo.com.

About the United States Polo Association ®

The U.S. Polo Association was organized and exists for the purposes of promoting the game of polo, coordinating the activities of its Member Clubs and Registered Players, arranging and supervising polo tournaments, competitions, and games, and providing rules, handicaps, and conditions for those tournaments, competitions, and games including the safety and welfare of participants and mounts. For more information, please visit www.uspolo.org.