WIP, Chukka face off in deLisser Cup polo final today
Published:Saturday | March 16, 2024 | 12:12 AMAshley Anguin/Gleaner Writer
West Indies Petroleum (WIP) and Chukka will meet in the final in the 2024 Willie deLisser Cup today at the St Ann Polo Club in Drax Hall in St Ann. Match time is 4 p.m.
Thursday’s thrilling semifinal game between Insurance Company of The West Indies (ICWI) and WIP saw ICWI making a huge comeback after being down 7-1 during the first three chukkas.
ICWI went in front 8-7 in the final chukka but WIP’s Mark Wates responded by scoring a late goal to tie the game, forcing it into a sudden death.
In the final minute, WIP’s Fredrick Farquharson was able to secure a victory for his team in overtime with a penalty.
In the second semifinal, Chukka outscored Toby’s Resort 8-4. Chukka were able to maintain a comfortable lead throughout the game despite the efforts of Toby Resort who just couldn’t match their rivals.
Lesley Masterton, the president of the Jamaica Polo Association, says she is looking forward to a competitive final.
“I want to see good, safe and competitive polo. During the semifinals we had a thrilling first match. The second game was good but not as thrilling as the first one. I am looking forward to a good match. I have no predictions for the outcome, especially based on Thursday’s results,” Masterton told The Gleaner.
As for the top performers for each team in today’s game, Masterton has eyes on two players.
“We have a five-goal Argentinian playing, Chuuka’s Felipe Segret, and I am looking for an excellent display of polo from him because he is higher rated than our local players. Our local team has three very experienced players on it and WIP’s young Fredrick Farquharson who has been playing extremely well this year. He had a summer in England that seems to have developed his polo a lot and a couple months in Argentina. It will be interesting to see how Freddy lines up against Felipe,” she added.
The tournament, which is played annually, is one of the top polo events locally and it features some of the island’s best polo players.
The champions will receive the main cup with the names of team members engraved on it. The winners will also get individual trophies.
The best playing pony, the top groom and owner will receive prizes while most valuable player will also be rewarded.
John Byles, captain of Chukka, stated that the final match will be challenging.
“I know it is going to be a tough game. The team we are playing against is very strong and experienced. Our team jelled well in the last game and we are going to leave everything on the field,” said Byles.
Meanwhile, Mark Wates, captain of West Indies Petroleum, said he hopes to win the final.
“We are looking forward to having a good game. We have a nice balanced team but they have a very professional player from Argentina, so anything is possible. We have a good team that has played together for a long time, so we hoping we can pull off a win,” Wates said.