Going for Gold
An exhausted yet jubilant Team Singapore just after the match - Silver for Singapore !
Above : Some players of the 2007 SEA Games training squad . Seated from L to R : Asad Jumabhoy , Ang Ban Tong , Lawrence Khong , Yeo Kuo Lee , Satinder Garcha ( team captain ) & Peter Abisheganaden . Standing from L to R : Ali Namazie ( team manager ), Ang Roon Kai ( junior player ), Philip Elliot ( team coach ) and Ameer Jumabhoy ( junior player ). preparation of the players short-listed . Juni Crotto ’ s highest polo handicap has been 9 goals and he has played in several countries including the USA , UK , France , Ireland , Germany , Australia , South Africa , Brazil , Chile , Perú , Brunei and Malaysia , winning over 100 tournaments in the course of his playing career . He has coached teams that have played in the Argentine Open as well as high goal in the UK . Juni undeniably has extensive experience of both playing as well as managing polo at a high goal competitive level for very many years thus the Singapore team is in good hands .
While being able to field a relatively youthful team this year is all to the good and indeed augurs well for the future of polo here , it does present specific challenges . For example , many of our younger players are presently based outside Singapore , either studying or working overseas . This makes it rather difficult for them to train together and practice as a team , which
“… after months of serious preparation and effort , the Singapore line-up made it all the way to the Finals …” is obviously crucial for us to have any reasonable chance of success . To address this issue , we shall have to telescope the final preparation period into some three to four months of very intensive polo training and practice matches . This has been factored into the Club ’ s 2017 calendar of fixtures , so members may look forward to some pretty exciting polo over the coming months .
Of course the key component of competitive polo remains , as always , horses . While each of Team Singapore ’ s players will be required to bring with them a string of upwards of four of their own quality polo ponies , the Club is to supplement Team Singapore ’ s overall pool by allocating an additional six quality ponies purchased by the Club in Argentina and earmarked for the SEA Games .
I am sure all readers will wish our players every success with their training , upcoming tournaments and of course , come August 2017 , with their performance at the SEA Games . ■
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