America's Polo Cup facts for kids
The America's Polo Cup was a special polo game series held each year in the United States. It took place from 2007 to 2010. This event was put together by Tareq and Michaele Salahi through their company, "America's Polo Cup Inc." Different companies helped support the event.
Because the games were not officially approved by the Federation of International Polo, they were mostly seen as a show for people to watch. The event faced some problems. These included issues with money, claims that some people or companies were not paid, and questions about how money for charity was handled. There were also reports that some sponsors' names were used without their permission. The company that ran the event, "America's Polo Cup Inc.," closed down in September 2010.
Contents
History of the Polo Cup
The 2007 Polo Match
On May 12, 2007, a polo team from the United Kingdom played against a team from America. The game was held at Morven Park in Leesburg, Virginia. The United Kingdom team won the match with a score of 7 to 3.
The 2008 Polo Match
In 2008, the America's Polo Cup was held again at Morven Park in Leesburg, Virginia. This time, the American team played against a team from Italy. The American team won the game with a score of 6 to 2.
The 2009 Polo Match
The 2009 match took place on May 9. It was held at the Capitol Polo Club in Poolesville, Maryland. The American team played against a team from Australia. America won this game with a score of 4 to 2.
The 2010 Polo Match
The last America's Polo Cup match happened on June 12, 2010. It was played on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The teams were announced as the United States and India. Tickets for the event were advertised at $95 per person.
About 250 people attended the event. Food was provided by Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen. Reports from the event said that in previous years, real players from the visiting country would travel to America. However, the players who the Salahis said were from India later admitted they were actually Americans of Pakistani origin from Florida. A spokesperson for the Embassy of India stated that neither the Embassy nor the government of India had any connection with the event.
The event's website reportedly listed an Indian company, Kingfisher Beer, as a sponsor. However, the head of Kingfisher Beer said that their company had not sponsored the event. Yashpal Singh, who was the president and chief executive of Mendocino Brewing Company (Kingfisher's parent company), reportedly said they were not sponsoring the event. He also mentioned they had sent legal notices because their name was still being used as a sponsor.
On September 13, 2010, the company "America's Polo Cup Inc." officially closed down its business.
