Kings Cup Polo 2011
September 4 – September 11
The Kings Cup Polo tournament will be celebrating it’s tenth anniversary this year and returning to where it all began, Hua Hin, from September 4th through the 11th. Teams from around the world will be manning their elephants and trunking it out to win the coveted Kings Cup.
In true Thailand tradition the Kings Cup Polo tournament not only honors the King but also honors the same gentle beasts they will be riding because the Kings Cup polo tournament is a charity event to benefit Elephant conservation in Thailand.
Started in 2001 by Anantara Resorts, the first Kings Cup Polo tournament was a small affair of few people and only 6 teams but by 2010 the tournament had become wildly popular hosting 12 teams with players from 15 countries and thousands of spectators.
To date the Kings Cup tournament has raised over $300,000 for Thailand elephants, the bulk of which has gone to the National Elephant Institute, which provides medical care, Mahout training and care for Thailand elephant population. Other funds have been used to buy elephants freedom from the streets of Bangkok and Chaing Mai as well as build and run a custom elephant ambulance. Proceeds have also been used to maintain the Institutes elephant hospital where they house and care for sick elephants.
Thailand’s elephant population has decreased over the years and it’s now believed that only 1500 wild elephants still roam free in Thailand and there are only 3600 domesticated elephants left. Unfortunate street accidents and abuse have taken the lives of many of Thailand’s elephants through the years.
What started out as a whimsical conversation between two quirky sport lovers, evolved itself to be known as the 6th largest annual event in the Thai tourism calendar. The event in question of being polo with an adventurous twist thus was the birth of polo played on the back of elephants.
The World Elephant Polo Association established the governing rules for Elephant Polo in 1982; the association has its headquarters at the Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge in the Royal Chitwan Park in Nepal, which is where the World Elephant Polo Tournament played every year on a grassy airfield in Megauly. This tournament is played within a relatively small circuit, including the countries Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
Kings Cup Polo 2001 Program Schedule
Monday, September 5th
11am – 2pm: Monk & Elephant Blessing Ceremonies, Grand Parade & Elephant Buffet
2pm – 3pm: Exhibition Games All Afternoon
7pm: Tournament Draw & Cocktail Party at Anantara Hua Hin
Tuesday, September 6th
10am – 12pm: Matches All Morning
1pm: EFG Jim Edwards Memorial Game
2pm – 6pm: Matches All afternoon
7pm: Dinner Event
Wednesday, September 7th
10am – 12pm: Matches All Morning
12.30pm – 1.30pm: Hoteliers Cup
2pm – 6pm: Matches All Afternoon
7.45pm: TEPA Players’ Night
Thursday, September 8th
10am – 12pm: Matches All Morning
12.30pm – 1 .30pm: Mahout Game
2pm – 6pm: Matches All Afternoon
7pm: Dinner Event
Friday, September 9th
10am – 12pm: Matches All Morning
12. 30pm – 1.30pm: Ladies Cup
2pm: Quarter Final One
3pm: Quarter Final Two
4pm: Quarter Final Three
5pm: Quarter Final Four
7pm: Dinner Event
Saturday, September 10th
8am: Semi-final playoff match
9am: “Escape The Wooden Spoon” Match
10am: “Fight Your Way To Mid-Table” Match
11am: “Punch Above Your Weight” Match
12.30pm – 1. 30pm: Celebrity Game
2pm: “Last Chance at Glory” Match
3pm: “Best Of The Rest” Match
4pm: Semi Final One
5pm: Semi Final Two
7pm: Blanc et Noir Auction Soiree at Anantara Hua Hin
Sunday, September 11th
8am: “Wooden Spoon” Match
9am: “Springboard From The Bottom” Match – 13th Place Decider
10am: “Knocking On The Door” Match – 11th Place Decider
11am: “Relegation Worries Over” Match – 9th Place Decider
1pm: “Look How Far We’ve Come” Match – 7th Place Decider
2pm: “Mid-Table Heroes” Match – 5th Place Decider
3pm: “Best Of The Rest, We’ll Get It Next Year” Match – 3rd Place Decider
4pm: Arrival of Royal Representative
5pm: King’s Cup Elephant Polo Grand Finale 2011
5.30pm: Prize Giving Ceremony
6.30pm onwards: End of Tournament
Spectators entrance to the Kings Cup Polo tournaments is FREE
For more information on this event you can visit the Kings Cup Polo 2011 web site and for more information on upcoming Events and Festivals in Thailand you can visit the Thailand Events Calender.
Kings Cup Polo 2011 brought to you by Anatara Hua Hin Resort in conjunction with the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
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That sounds awesome, shame I won’t be able to make it. Hope you go down and get some good photos for us all to see.
colin recently posted..Sophie loves Chiang Mai
OMG, that is so adorable!!!
That seems like a rather nice event for a good cause. Go take a lot of good photos for us.
Lawrence…definitely attending this one and there will be photos galore.
It would be cool if they showed it on something like ESPN3. I think Animal Channel would deem it as ‘exploiting the elephant for amusement’ and boycott it.
Rambone, The animal channel should show it. I hate seeing the elephant attractions where they make them paint or play soccer as they are being exploited then but this is for their own benefit and a gfood thing for the Asian elephant in general.
It’s that time of year again? Goodness, I promised myself that I’d attend this year. We’ll just have to see…
Catherine recently posted..Successful Thai Language Learner: Marc Spiegel
Cat, Yes, we must!!!
And I will
Catherine recently posted..Look Tewada ลูกเทวดา: Child of an Angel? Spoilt Brat?
so cool. had no idea that such an event took place. thanks!
oh and you misspelled chiang mai. as a resident, you know, i’m deeply offended
Lani recently posted..alien in chiang mai
Lani, You Chiang Mai folk are so uppity
Talen – Elephant Polo sounds like great fun, albeit without the speed and grace of the horse variety. Maybe one day it will become an Olympic sport with Thailand battling it out with India for the gold medal.
The event is for a very good cause and I hope it gets packed crowds and plenty of media attention. I’ll look forward to your report on what should be a very good alternative sporting event.
Martyn, it should be a lot of fun and seeing as Cat will be around as well it is shaping up to be a great event.
Well. I attended. It was… odd. I want to digest what the morning so it might be tomorrow before I post.
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Typo: delete ‘what’… sigh…
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