MALAYSIA TO HOST POLO WORLD CUP QUALIFYING 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 11 (Bernama) -- Malaysia have won the bid to host the
qualifying rounds of one zone of the ninth Polo World Cup next year.

Royal Malaysian Polo Association (RMPA) president Tengku Abdullah Sultan
Ahmad Shah said Malaysia would host the Zone D qualifying rounds of the premier
international tournament in June 2011. Zone D comprises eight national teams
from three continents, Asia, Australasia and Africa.

"Our aim for bidding for this World Cup is not only to showcase Malaysian
polo but also to improve our own polo.

"We will do several things -- improve RMPA's infrastructure and playing
fields into world class fields, encourage owners to buy top quality horses, set
up the national polo academy, and organise youth polo programmes and riding
programmes for the underprivileged," he said.

Tengku Abdullah spoke to reporters after the signing ceremony between RMPA
and Federation of International Polo president James Ashton at the Royal
Malaysian Polo Club in Ampang here Wednesday.


Tengku Abdullah said the bid was backed by the Malaysian government.

"In Buenos Aires last year, we started our intention not only of hosting
this qualifying rounds in 2011, but also to bid for the FIP Polo World Cup final
in 2014," he said.

On the national team's preparation for the tournament, Tengku Abdullah said
the team, to be called "RMPA 1Malaysia", was currently playing in the RMPA
international league.

"They are already making their mark in various regional and test matches.
With 12 months remaining before the start of this tournament, they will undergo
training in Argentina or other countries.

"We want to ensure that each of our players is well prepared for this
competitive tournament. We want to finish among the top two in the eight-team
qualifying rounds here," the Tengku Mahkota said.

Held every three years, the Polo World Cup is organised by the sport's
governing body, Federation of International Polo. Chile are the current world
champions, having won the 2008 World Polo Championship Final in Mexico after
beating Brazil. The next World Polo Championship will be held in Brazil in 2011.

-- BERNAMA