Raphael Silva of Argentina (left) is expected to be in the thick of things when the Barbados Open Tournament opens at the Clifton polo grounds on Sunday. (Picture by Clifton Henry.)

Some of the most exciting polo to be played in Barbados this season is expected when the annual Barbados Colombian Emeralds-sponsored Barbados Open Tournament kicks off at the Clifton Polo Estate in St Thomas on Sunday.

The tournament, which is jointly sponsored by the Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA) and Columbian Emeralds, in association with Simpson Motors, Mount Gay Rum, Raffles Resort, Terra Caribbean Ltd, Barbados National Bank, Ocean 2 and Courtesy Garage, will feature some of the top names in international polo over the course of the four-match series.

Players such as Raphael Silva from Uruguay, Nico Sanroman, Nico Fonlanarossa, and Gonzalo Fucci from Argentina, and Jaime Le-Hardy from Britain, will be among the more prominent names participating, said public relations officer for the Barbados Open, Karen Kranenburg.

Speaking at a Press briefing at the BTA's office on the Harbour Road
on Wednesday, she said
she was pleased with
the response and support the sixth annual event had attracted.

The second game will be at the Lion Castle, St Thomas grounds on Tuesday. The third will be at Holders, St James, next Thursday and the grand finale will be at Clifton on March 16.

The four teams involved this year are Mount Gay, Simpson Motors, Raffles Canouan and Ocean 2 who will all square off in a round-robin series fixture.

Each team will be limited to two professionals and two amateur players in an effort to balance the teams and make the games more competitive.

In the first match, at 3 p.m., Ocean 2 will come up against Raffles. At 4 p.m. Simpson Motors will face Mount Gay. (CH)