GlobalPort is the first-ever Philippine-based team to compete in the prestigious US Open Polo Championship.
History will be made as GlobalPort embarks on its US Open Polo Championship campaign this Wednesday at the prestigious grounds of Wellington, Florida. The first-ever Philippine-based team to compete in the tournament is placed in Bracket I, facing a tough challenge ahead.
Awaiting GlobalPort in Bracket II—the so-called "group of death"—are two former US Open champion teams, La Dolfina Tamera and Park Place. The team’s opening match will be a formidable test as it takes on La Dolfina Tamera in the $100,000 tournament.
Following the opener, GlobalPort will battle BTA on Sunday, March 30, before wrapping up its group-stage matches against another former US Open champion, Park Place, on Saturday, April 5.
“Our game against BTA will be a highlight of the day, but that’s just the beginning of a tough climb,” said team owner Mikee Romero. “We’ll be facing Park Place next, a former champion, which will be another big challenge for us.”
La Dolfina Tamera, led by world no. 1 Adolfo Cambiaso Jr., also features top-tier players Alejandro Poma, Diego Cavanagh, and Matt Copola. The squad is coming off a championship victory in last month’s C.V. Whitney Cup.
However, GlobalPort is no pushover. With world no. 4 Bartolome Castagnola leading the charge alongside Beltran Laulhe, Lucas Diaz Alberdi, and substitutes Nico Escobar and Santos Merlos, the team is primed to compete at the highest level.
The Philippine-based squad enters the US Open riding high on momentum after a thrilling 12-11 overtime victory in the Sterling Cup final, where it dethroned the defending champion Maltese Falcons.
GlobalPort also participated in the prestigious Gauntlet of Polo, which features three top-tier 22-goal tournaments, including the US Open. The team made it to the semifinals of the Whitney Cup and finished with a 2-2 record in the ongoing US Polo Association Gold Cup.
Meanwhile, Park Place, led by world no. 6 Hilario Ulloa, boasts a strong lineup featuring Andrey Borodin, Louis Hine, Mariano "Peke" Gonzales Jr., and substitutes Gabriel Crespi and Nicolas Sivori.
Joining GlobalPort in Bracket I are Clearwater and La Dolfina Catamount.