Haiti Polo Team will face Team Perth (Australia) in the semi-finals of the “Polo in the City” World Series Polo this afternoon in Perth, Australia (15h00 local time GMT+16). This will be the fourth of five tournaments that compose the World Series Polo, polointhecity.com, in Australia.
Coming off of a big upset-win over Team Australia in Brisbane in the second round two weeks ago, Haiti Polo Team has the inertia for the win today. Event organizer Janek Gazecki called the match in Brisbane, “the single most-exciting polo match ever seen in Australia… a fight to the end.”
Last weekend’s tournament in Melbourne was canceled due to rainy weather in the days preceding the scheduled match. Haiti Polo Team has been practicing every day in Australia since arriving 18 November, riding in the mornings at clubs and ranches; working out in the afternoons at health clubs and gyms.
“Representing Haiti in the World Series Polo is a great honor, and to advance to the semi-finals today is extremely exciting,” said Team Captain Claude-Alix Bertrand. “Everywhere we go, people want to know about Haiti Polo Team, about Haiti, and about Haitian athletes.”
The series opened last month in Sydney with a welcome party for Haiti Polo Team given by event organizers on a super-yacht in Sydney Harbor. Captain Bertrand is also UNESCO Ambassador Goodwill for Haiti, and has been representing tourism and sports’ interest of Haiti while on the tour in Australia. Media fanfare has followed Haiti Polo Team from city to city, including ESPN and E! News of Australia. In addition to promoting tourism and sport in Haiti, each weekend, the tournament hosts a silent auction to benefit Project St. Anne, projectstanne.org, an organization in Camp-Perrin, Haiti, that works with families and school children.
Haiti Polo Team was founded in 2013 by Captain Bertrand. The team rose to fame in 2014 with important cup wins in China, Argentina and San Francisco. Joining Captain Bertrand on Haiti Polo Team in Perth are Johann du Preez, Ric McCarthy, and Glindon Webster.
Haiti Polo Team: www.htpolo.com
World Series Polo: www.polointhecity.com
