Record Crowds in Glorious Alpine Weather

Who will make it to the final of the 23rd BENDURA BANK Snow Polo World Cup, and who will battle it out for the remaining places? This question was answered on Saturday in Reith near Kitzbühel in front of a record-breaking crowd. Not only was the VIP tent completely sold out, but the public area—free of charge and expanded this year to include additional grandstand seating—was also extremely well attended.

Allianz and Pommery to battle for the trophy
The first two matches determined which teams would compete on Sunday for places 5 and 6, and respectively 7 and 8. All four teams had lost their opening matches on Friday. Jan-Hendrik Többe, who had to be replaced at short notice on Friday by Helena Schöller, played the first match of the day with his Engel & Völkers team against Team AIX. Despite the head start his team received due to the lower handicap, Team AIX, led by Glenn Lostritto, narrowly prevailed in the end with a 6–5.5 victory.

AIX’s opponent in the match for fifth place will be the team of title sponsor Bendura Bank. Organizer Tito Gaudenzi and his teammates Tomy Ruiz Guinazu and Jules Legoubin went into the match against Team Bentley highly motivated and secured a clear 8–2.5 win.

After the lunch break, attention turned to the battle for a place in the final. Both matches were fiercely contested and ultimately decided by just half a goal. In both encounters—S. Pellegrino vs. Allianz and the day’s final match Azerbaijan vs. Pommery—the score was 6.5–7. As a result, Swiss player Philipp Müller and his teammates Nacho Gonzales and Raul Laplacette Jr. will face the Beh family (Malaysia) with Tomas Delfino. Both teams delivered strong performances over the weekend, promising another thrilling final day.

Lively atmosphere at the Gala

On Saturday evening, the VIP tent was transformed into a glamorous gala setting. Around 600 guests enjoyed a fine three-course dinner before the band Gemini created a lively atmosphere on the dance floor. DJ Erok, who also provided upbeat sounds throughout the day, rounded off the evening by spinning tracks late into the night in the VIP tent.