& More 2015
The EFG Haryana lineup from left to right,
Manaan Mahdvani, Uday Kalaan and
Gaston Devrient
N
A visiting EFG Haryana Team
falter against their spirited Barbados hosts
By Corey Greaves
ot deterred by their injury riddled 2013 tour, Swiss private
bank and global polo sponsor extraordinaire EFG decided
to make a return visit to Barbados with one of their flagship
teams, Haryana, the mainstay of which is the mighty Kalaan
brothers, Uday and Angad; 2 of India’s highest handicapped
players. Sadly, Angad Kalaan had still not fully recovered from his
severe injury from the year before, and he was replaced on the squad
physically, but certainly not spiritually. But the lack of cohesion
on the team without his presence was obvious. The line-up for the
three game series was Robert Mehm (1), Manaan Mahdvani (1)
sharing a place with his brother Hrishi Mahdvani also handicapped at
1, Gaston Devrient(4) and Uday Kalaan (4).
In the opening game, the hosts, Mango Bay Barbados threw down
the gauntlet and took the visitors to task, with a display of form that
marked a resurgence for Argentine born, but Barbados adopted
Pablo Crespin, who played like a man possessed that afternoon. The
Lion Castle polo ground echoed with cheers as he demonstrated why he
was worth every goal of his 3goal handicap. He razed the opposition
that afternoon with a massive seven goal haul. He opened his account
with a goal in the first chukker, but an equaliser from Gaston Devrient
saw the teams locked at one goal apiece going into the second. Robert
Mehm, who was a part of the touring side last year, was next to score
as he took the EFG Haryana team into the lead for the first time, while
Devrient with yet another goal racked up a brace before the chukker
was finished. It seemed like the visitors had it all under control, but
as the old saying goes 7 minutes is a long time in polo, and Crespin
a seasoned professional was only too aware of this; he opened up the
Photos By Lisa Davis
jets and had the ball through the uprights three times in quick
succession by the end of the third chukker.
At the start of the fourth chukker, Jamie Dickson also handicapped on
3 goals added to the Barbados tally, but it was the Pablo Crespin
show and the Argentine scored another three goals and took his
Mango Bay Barbados team into the lead 8-3, giving them the first
very convincing win of the series.
With one game under their belt it could be said that the Mango Bay
Barbados team was in the driving seat. The EFG Haryana team less
so, this game was a must win game for them to keep a series
victory in their sights. Eager not to let the second game slip away
from them, the visitors kept their lines tight and played assertively
as they tried to level the three game series and stay in contention.
However early in the game the momentum seemed to be
with the host team as the visitors committed foul after foul,
gifting Barbados a number of penalties.
Indian 4 goaler Uday Kalaan opened the scoring early in the
game for the visiting EFG Haryana team; a clever back hand shot
from the left side of the field skidded across the turf to change the
scoreboard with only a few seconds on the game clock. Barbados
pressed harder, keen to regain and maintain the lead. Their hardhitting play earned them no fewer than four penalties, three of
which came off the mallet of 4 goaler Christian Chavez. His
first was scored from 40 yards out, a cracker of a shot which struck
an outstretched mallet but still managed to reach its target. A 60 yard
penalty and the conversion of a 30 yard penalty earned for the hosts
by Alex Cole.
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