Page 307 - Westport Guide To Malaysia

THE GUIDE TO MALAYSIA 299
abandoned tin-mining pools at Ampang Hilir. The club is now surrounded by high-rise buildings and is one of the last remaining downtown polo clubs in the world. Polo is still played there four days a week, weather permitting, during the 10-month season.
Royal Pahang Polo Club inaugurated the Pahang Classic in the eighties, a high-goal tournament that brought some of the best players in the world to play in Pekan, Pahang. This 28- goal tournament continued till the late nineties. His Majesty Al-Sultan Abdullah Shah, the 19th and current Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia, was a founder
of the RMPA International Polo League in 2005. An active player till 2015, he led the mighty Royal Pahang teams with style and great sportsmanship.
The RMPA International League has been a resounding success. In addition to new patrons and players, the league has attracted players
from Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, China, Chile, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia,
Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Korea, Macao, New Zealand, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Uruguay and the USA.
Southeast Asian Games Polo
Polo is truly the sport of kings. His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia in action at the Selangor Polo Club.
Malaysia has won every SEA Games Polo tournament: 1983 in Singapore, 2007 in Thailand, 2017 in Malaysia and 2019 in the Philippines. At the 2007 Games, the squad of Shaik Reismann, Saladin Mazlan, Adi Rizal Zamri, Tengku Ahmad
Shazril Ezzani, Hairezal Yahya and Dato’ Mohamed Moiz went unbeaten through the five-game championship, beating Singapore 8-31⁄2 in the final.
Malaysia dominated the 29th SEA Games, played at Taman Ekuestrian Putrajaya, in 2017. Veterans of
2007, Tengku Shazril and Shaik Reismann were the backbone of the team. For 17-year-old Abdul Rashid Hasnan, it was the start of a golden SEA Games journey. Mohd Zulhelmie Nadzar and Muhd Faizal also broke into the national team, together with then Minister of Youth and Sports Khairy Jamaluddin. Malaysia again went undefeated, defeating Thailand 9-8 in the final.
The then Minister of Youth and Sports, YB Khairy Jamaluddin (centre), led the Malaysian Polo Team to Southeast Asian Games success in 2017.