Thailand ride to Asian Beach Polo victory in Hua Hin
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Framed by a Hua Hin beach and a cheering crowd, Thailand on Saturday beat Macau to secure the title at the 4th Asian Beach Polo Championship InterContinental-B Grimm.
With Thai-bred ponies making their competition debut, a home team led by Harald Link, chairman of B Grimm Group and president of the Thailand Equestrian Federation, surged to a 5-0 win for the Princess PA’s Cup.
The beach polo tournament raises funds for the Kamlangjai Project, initiated by HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha to reach out to women in prison, including pregnant inmates and their babies.
Thai rider Verachai Ngao-Osa said he was proud that the Thai-bred ponies had proved more than a match for their imported counterparts.
Supachai Sukhampha, at 16 the youngest team member, said the popularity of the international competition had grown since his debut last year.
Third place went to Hong Kong, with India taking the final place in the standings.
The event also raised Bt770,000 from the auction of two oil paintings of Hua Hin beach polo matches.
Former deputy prime minister Suwat Liptapanlop, an advisory chairman of the tournament’s Organising Committee, said “Hua Hin is an ideal location for the ‘Game of Kings’”. He cited the long, wide beach, and the town’s long association with horses.
See video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aipo0OoLm7k
