Fourth edition of women's European Polo

From Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 the fourth edition of the Women's European Polo Championships. Italy in Punta Ala to defend the title won in 2021

Castiglione della Pescaia (GR), June 30 - Last September, with the Punta Ala Polo Cup, the historic polo field - witness for decades to the exploits of great sportsmen and VIPs all the way to the British royalty - in the hamlet of Castiglione della Pescaia shone again. It was the dress rehearsal for the Women's European Championships - U.S. Polo Assn. Trophy scheduled from Wednesday, July 5 to Sunday, July 9, and which will see four national teams on the field: Italy, England, Germany and France.
At the Punta Ala Equestrian Center, which thanks to the work and passion of Gaia Bulgari has returned to its former glory and to host international polo events after 30 years, everything is ready for the arrival of the leading delegations of a competition - the Women's European 2023 - that the International Polo Federation has assigned to FISE (Italian Equestrian Sports Federation).
It will be an environmentally sustainable event as always, in line with the principles behind the redevelopment of the area that will host the continental tournament.
And there is a very welcome surprise: admission to the Punta Ala Equestrian Center will be free of charge, with enthusiasts or the merely curious thus having the chance to follow up close and personal a spectacle not to be missed in a breathtaking location in the heart of the Maremma.

"The International Polo Federation is pleased to support and participate in the IV FIP Women's European Championships 2023," stressed Piero Dillier, president of the International Polo Federation. "Women's polo is an important part of the future of polo. It is currently the fastest growing branch of polo, with more and more women joining their respective associations and creating new exclusive tournaments for women around the world.
The FIP wants to promote, improve and expand women's polo and programs in all member countries, considering them essential to the future of polo. The International Polo Federation is extremely grateful to all partners and sponsors who have contributed to this endeavor. Thank you to the Italian Equestrian Sports Federation and in particular to Alessandro Giachetti for once again hosting this championship and for their enthusiasm and support for the sport of polo; thank you to the Punta Ala Polo Club for hosting the teams in this beautiful and well-run facility; thank you to the participating teams and to all the International Polo Federation officials, tournament director and referees."

"Italy once again presents itself to the world of equestrian sports with an event of the highest international level: the European Women's Polo Championships in Punta Ala," the words of FISE president Marco Di Paola. The discipline is returning to the seaside resort in the province of Grosseto after a good 30 years, and the team led by Gaia Bulgari has been working flat out to give players, insiders and the public in attendance a very high-profile facility with a state-of-the-art playing field. Our Azzurri will defend the title of European champions at home and, knowing their determination, I am sure they will give their all to stay in the roof of Europe. To Gaia Bulgari and all the local institutions come my thanks on behalf of Italian equestrian sports for contributing to the promotion of Italy and the enhancement of our sport."

"When, in 2019, I took over the Punta Ala Equestrian Center to bring it back to its former glory, I did it because it was a heartfelt affair," added Gaia Bulgari, president of the Punta Ala Equestrian Center. "This place has inextricably intersected with my life in a thousand ways, and the polo field, if you'll pass me the definition, has been a bit of my 'desktop,' a witness to the wonderful years I lived here. Reclaiming it and turning it back into a place of sport for people like me who love horses was a natural thing to do. Four years later, we are here for a women's polo European Championships, an event that gives meaning to all the things and sacrifices my team and I have made, even in the difficult years of the pandemic."

THE TOURNAMENT There will be three days of competition, with starts set for 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. It starts on Thursday, 6, with the draw that determined the pairings for the opening matches: Italy, led by coach Franco Piazza and head coach Alessandro Giachetti, will face England, while the other challenge will feature France and Germany. Alice Coria, Maitena Marrè, Camilla Rossi and Ginevra Visconti are the athletes chosen to wear the blue jersey. The teams will then return to the court on Saturday 8, with the second day in which the winning teams in the first match will cross paths with the losers. On Sunday 9, the finals -- of which RaiSport, in the days following the event, will air an extensive summary -- and the awards ceremony. The four federations have submitted a list of 10 call-ups each, but four girls will take the field. For England Kristina White, Beanie Bradley, Rosanna Turk and Rebecca Walters. For Germany Clarissa Marggraf, Marie Haupt, Svenja Hölty and Eva Brühl. For France, sisters Lucie and Pearl Venot, Margaux Perruchot and Ambra Ploix.

ITALY CHAMPIONSHIPS IN CHARGE The one scheduled in Punta Ala will be the fourth edition of the Women's European Polo Championships. The first one was held in 2017 in Chantilly (France), with Italy winning and finishing second behind Germany the following year in Villa Sesta, also in Tuscany. In 2021, the first year in which the European Championships counted as qualification for the Women's World Cup, Italy in Milan won its second gold medal, before a fourth-place finish in the World Cup in Argentina.

THE PARADE The start of the competitions will be preceded, on the afternoon of Wednesday 5, by the customary parade of the horses and athletes who are the protagonists of the European Championships scheduled at the Marina of Punta Ala, enriched by the presence of vintage cars and in which Sandra Mucciarini, Councillor of the Municipality of Castiglione della Pescaia, will also participate. The parade will be followed by an aperitif at the Punta Ala Yachting Club.

THE EVENTS The five-day Punta Ala program is packed with events that will round out the European's calendar. On Friday evening, at Gallia on the Beach, a Charity dinner is scheduled to raise funds for Operation Smile Italia ETS Foundation. Finally, on Saturday, the classic asado on the sidelines.