The 34th Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz is set to become a top event par excellence. A laid-back Polo Bar in St. Moritz’s legendary restaurant Chesa Veglia and the “Baku Moritz Polo Award” are two new additions to this year’s fixture. Given the excellent make-up of the underlying ice, construction of the extensive infrastructure on the frozen lake has begun just over a week ago. Demand for tickets to this year’s event is exceptionally high. Tickets to the VIP tent on Saturday and Sunday are almost sold out; the exclusive Polo Gala night has been sold out for some time. The partner hotels also report high bookings. Some 15,000 spectators from around the globe are expected to attend the world’s only high-goal polo tournament on snow— admission to the action-packed tournament is free, as ever.
Four top-tier teams studded with players from nine countries will once again compete for the coveted Cartier Trophy this year. The competition kicks off with a riveting encounter on Friday noon. Rommy Gianni and his top-class Team Cartier - the winner of 2016 and 2017 has old hands Chris Hyde, Dario Musso and Juan Cruz Greguoli at his side - will face the runners-up of 2017, Team Badrutt’s Palace Hotel around captain Melissa Ganzi. The US American player is entering the competition with a first-rate team, lining up with the only Swiss player, Tito Gaudenzi, very well known in the Engadin Valley, and the Argentine polo legend Alejandro Novillo Astrada.
Friday’s second game promises no less excitement. Zhanna Bandurko, the Russian player making her debut at the Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz, and her sterling Team Maserati will face last year’s newcomers Team Azerbaijan Land of Fire with captain Elchin Jamalli. Bandurko has teamed up with the professional players Robert Strom, Gerardo Mazzini and Hissam al Hyder. Rashad Hasanov and the two professional players from Argentina Lala Laplacette and Adrian Laplacette Jr. complete the ambitious team from Azerbaijan. Details on the line-up and the program can be found on the tournament website www.snowpolo-stmoritz.com
