THE second renewal of the Scotia Private Client Group Jamaica Open Polo Tournament will be played on Sunday, April 10 at the Caymanas Polo Club, starting at 2:00 pm.

Four teams in Scotia Client, American Airlines, Pegasus and Bin 26 will participate in the equestrian event, which will involve four overseas players from Argentina and the United Kingdom.

Last year, the event was sponsored by ScotiaBank to the tune of US$40,000, but this year’s financial details were not divulged.

However, Debra Lopez-Spence, Scotia Private Group’s centre director, said it’s a “healthy” sum and they are thrilled to have some highly-skilled international players participating.

“Scotia Private Client Group is delighted to partner with this prestigious event as we and our clients alike have truly developed a love for the game of polo,” said Lopez-Spence at the launch of the tournament at the Scotia Group Financial Centre on Constant Spring Road on Wednesday.

“The game of polo draws many parallels with our approach to banking — highly-co-ordinated teamwork and strategy. At Scotia we leverage our global network of expertise and our team of experts to provide our clients with the opportunity to appropriately structure their wealth, diversify their investment portfolios and leverage their assets,” she pointed out.

She added: “The game of polo requires a team of well-trained and highly-skilled athletes to work together seamlessly to deliver the highest standard of play.”

Argentina, arguably the top polo country in the world, will see three of their players who participated last year returning on three separate teams.

Jorge Donovan of Argentina, alongside Mark Wates, Paul Lalor and Raymond Rousseau, will represent Scotia Client.

Argentine Tomas Gandara will rub horses with James Robertson the Minister of Energy, Jason Wates, and Adam Laing on the American Airline team.

Team Bin 26 has the lone female in Leslie Fong-Yee, along with Craig Russell, Jamie Le Hardy of the UK and Sam Wates.

Jose Lartirigoyen of Argentina, John Byles, Jordon Samuda and Mark Melville will head the Pegasus team.

Polo, which is played on horses, has four players per team. The object of the game is to move the polo ball downfield, hitting the ball through the goal posts for a score.

Teams change direction after each goal in order to compensate for field and wind conditions. The match is usually played outdoors. A polo field is 300 yards long and 160 yards wide — the largest field in organised sport.

The game lasts for about an hour-and-a-half and is divided into timed periods called chukkers. Each chukker is seven minutes long.

Meanwhile, this year’s theme for the event is “Nikki Beach comes to Kingston”, which brings together a premier lifestyle event with the Scotia Private Client Group brand.

“We have exciting activities in store at the final event. Our hospitality lounge will feature a day spa courtesy of Golden Eye, which will give our clients a chance to unwind and relax as they enjoy the game of polo,” added Lopez-Spence.