WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Dec. 09, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The United States Polo Association (USPA) and U.S. Polo Assn., the official brand of the USPA, will welcome the XII FIP World Polo Championship to Palm Beach County and back to the United States this year, for only the second time in the tournament's history. The Federation of International Polo (FIP) is the international federation representing the sport of polo, officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Taking place from Oct. 26-Nov. 6, 2022, with the finals on Nov. 6 at the International Polo Club (IPC) in Wellington, Florida, this will be the first FIP World Polo Championship tournament to be played in Palm Beach County, Florida. Preliminary games will be hosted at the Valiente Polo Farm, also in Wellington, Florida. Similar in scope to soccer's World Cup, the FIP World Polo Championship is an international competition that brings together polo players from all over the world representing their respective countries. Also, this year will feature some of the best horses with J5 Equestrian supplying over 100 horses for this global event.
"We are proud to host the XII FIP World Polo Championship in Palm Beach County, Florida, for the very first time and to have our USA Team, as Host Team, fighting for the coveted trophy," said Stewart Armstrong, Chairman of the USPA. "This year's FIP World Polo Championship is sure to be an outstanding event for polo fans in Palm Beach County and broader South Florida, as well as nationally and around the world."
U.S. Polo Assn. will serve as the Presenting Sponsor and Official Apparel Partner for the Championship. The global, sport-inspired lifestyle brand will also provide the official performance jerseys and other equipment for all playoff events that lead to the Championship.
"As the official brand of the United States Polo Association, U.S. Polo Assn. is honored to be the Presenting Sponsor for the FIP World Polo Championship and honored to support this high-profile, international event," said J. Michael Prince, President and CEO of USPA Global Licensing, which manages the global, multi-billion-dollar U.S. Polo Assn. brand. "This is truly a global event that will resonate with our consumers and sports fans around the world, across 194 countries. We are also excited our partners at ESPN will broadcast the championship finals."
"The Palm Beach County Sports Commission welcomes the FIP World Polo Championships and is thrilled to add yet another exciting and high-profile event to our sports roster here in the county," said George Linley, Executive Director at Palm Beach County Sports Commission. "Outstanding sporting events like this help build the presence and reputation of sports in our county while also bringing together our community and supporting the tourism industry. This is a win-win all around."
To get to the championship, more than 25 countries play across five zones, or regions, fighting for eight team positions. In the end, eight international teams compete for the title of FIP World Polo Champion. The FIP World Polo Championship is hosted every three to four years by a different host country, with the last one played in Australia in 2017, with Argentina being declared the winner. Due to the global pandemic, the scheduled 2020 tournament was moved to 2022 in Palm Beach County, where Argentina will defend its title.
"I would like to thank the USPA, U.S. Polo Assn. and Palm Beach County for their efforts to bring the World Championships to the U.S. and for their outstanding support throughout this process. Achieving this in these exceptionally difficult times speaks to the tremendous commitment of the USPA and U.S. Polo Assn. towards polo and the world polo community," said Alex Taylor, FIP CEO. "We have all come together with the same goal - to expose more people around the world to this extraordinary sport."
The 2022 FIP World Polo Championship semi-finals and finals will air on ESPN for the very first time. The series will also air live on Global Polo TV (GPTV), the world's premier digital destination for polo. For more information, visit uspolo.org/fip-world-championship.
"Palm Beach County is so fortunate to host the FIP World Polo Championship here in Wellington, this coming Fall," said Glenn Jergensen Executive Director of the Palm Beach County Tourist Development Council. "This prestigious event welcoming participants and visitors from all over the world allows the Palm Beaches to extend our hospitality from not only our world-class equestrian facilities but also from our world-class hotels, cultural venues and 47 miles of Atlantic Ocean beaches."
About U.S. Polo Assn.
U.S. Polo Assn. is the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), the nonprofit governing body for the sport of polo in the United States and one of the oldest sports governing bodies, having been founded in 1890. With a multi-billion-dollar global footprint and worldwide distribution through some 1,200 U.S. Polo Assn. retail stores, department stores, sporting goods channels, independent retailers and e-commerce, U.S. Polo Assn. offers apparel for men, women and children, as well as accessories and footwear in 194 countries worldwide. Ranked the fifth largest sports licensor in License Global magazine's 2020 list of "Top 150 Global Licensors," U.S. Polo Assn. is named alongside such iconic sports brands as the National Football League, the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball. Visit uspoloassnglobal.com and @uspoloassn. For more polo content, visit Globalpolo.com.
About the United States Polo Association® (USPA)
The United States Polo Association was organized and exists for the purposes of promoting the game of polo, coordinating the activities of its Member Clubs and Registered Players, arranging and supervising polo tournaments, competitions and games, and providing rules, handicaps, and conditions for those tournaments, competitions, and games including the safety and welfare of participants and mounts. Founded in 1890, the USPA is the national governing body for the sport of polo. The USPA is currently comprised of more than 200 member clubs with thousands of individual members and oversees 40 national tournaments. For more information, please visit uspolo.org.
About Federation of International Polo (FIP)
The Federation of International Polo (FIP) is the international federation representing the sport of polo, officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee. It was created in 1982 by representatives of eleven national polo associations. FIP's principal aim is to enhance the image and status of the great game of polo internationally. FIP currently has 80 registered member associations representing over 23,000 players. For more information, please visit www.fippolo.com.
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For further information contact:
Shannon Stilson - AVP, Marketing
Phone +001.561.227.6994 - Email: sstilson@uspagl.com
Stacey Kovalsky - Senior Director, Global Communications
Phone +001.561.790.8036 - Email: skovalsky@uspagl.com
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