GlobalPort-PH polo team nails All Asia Cup medal finish

MANILA, Philippines – The GlobalPort-Philippine team secured runner-up honors in the 5th All Asia Cup 2020 recently at the VS Sports Club and Siam Polo Park in Preng, Thailand.

The Nationals bowed to host Thailand in the final match of the six-nation tournament where they also defeated several  Southeast Asian rivals, including a vengeful win over Indonesia. 

“Up against some of the best teams in the Asian region, we proved we can be at par with them,” said Mikee Romero, the founding director of the Philippine National Federation of Polo Players.

After dropping its initial game – also against Thailand – the Philippine team composed of Anthony Garcia, Adrian Garcia, Robert Esguerra and Romer slipped past Brunei, 10-9, in a tense quarterfinal clash.

The Nationals then played their best game in the week-long tournament by downing Indonesia, 8-5.5, to secure their first finals appearance in the event that also gathered polo-playing royalties like Brunei’s Princess Azemah Bolkiah and Prince Bahar, Shilai Liu and billionaire Srivaddhanaprabha siblings Apichet and Aiyawatt of Thailand.

“Given more time to train and play in various tournaments abroad, I strongly believe we can play much better the next time. The chemistry is there so we just have to sustain it,” said Romero, the House Deputy Speaker who was also  a member of the Philippine team that won a bronze in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. 

In the tournament, the Nationals avenged their SEA Games loss to Indonesia where they got routed, 9-4.5, last December at the Miguel Romero Field in Calatagan, Batangas.

China and Korea also saw action in the event initiated by the late King Power Duty Free owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, who had hoped to raise awareness of the sport. – Rappler.com