The Thrilling Equestrian Event Will Take Place on Aug. 7 and be Broadcast on ESPN
PARIS, FRANCE AND WEST PALM BEACH, FL / ACCESSWIRE / May 7, 2024 / U.S. Polo Assn., the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), and the Polo Club du Domaine Chantilly are proud to present the Paris Games Polo Challenge 2024, a tribute match between USA and France taking place on August 7. The Paris Games Polo Challenge will be open to the public and will air on ESPN2 to a global audience.
With the 2024 Summer Olympics taking place in Paris from July through August and equestrian events concluding on August 6 at Versailles, U.S. Polo Assn. invites sports fans to continue the equestrian celebration with polo, just 40 minutes outside Paris city center at the Polo Club du Domaine Chantilly. Chantilly is the home of the Great Stables of Prince de Conde and Chateau de Chantilly, and is, of course, the namesake of Chantilly lace, the famous silk laces that date back to 17th century France.
In partnership with the Federation of International Polo (FIP), the Federation Française de Polo (FFP) and the USPA, this historic match is the centennial celebration and tribute to the last time France hosted the Olympics, exactly 100 years ago. France will be seeking redemption at the Paris Games Polo Challenge 2024 for the VIII Olympiad which were held in Paris for the second time in the modern era. On June 28, 1924, in St. Cloud, France, and before the official opening ceremony, the match between the United States and France began. It ended with France losing 15-1. USA concluded the overall tournament with the silver medal, having lost to Argentina, who remained unbeaten and took home Olympic gold. The last Olympics to include polo was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany.
As the Title and Apparel Sponsor, U.S. Polo Assn. will be providing apparel for USA and France Teams with performance jerseys, practice jerseys, and an assortment of U.S. Polo Assn. custom-designed country apparel to wear off the field, featuring the global sports brand’s iconic double horsemen logo. The USA Team will be wearing custom USPA Pro whites. U.S. Polo Assn. is also providing saddle pads, as well as groom and staff outfitting for the Polo Club du Domaine Chantilly. VIP gifts for the event will include event limited edition Paris Games Polo Challenge 2024 caps, t-shirts, scarves and pocket squares, as well as branded duffle bags.
"U.S. Polo Assn. is honored to be part of such an historic and celebratory polo event at the beautiful Polo Club du Domaine Chantilly, alongside the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics," said J. Michael Prince, President & CEO of USPA Global, the company that manages and markets the multi-billion-dollar U.S. Polo Assn. brand. "This event brings FIP, FFP and the USPA together for only the second time in 100 years of history, making this tribute game a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for everyone that attends."
Polo Club du Domaine Chantilly will also be hosting two other high goal polo tournaments this summer, the Polo Nations Cup from June 13 – 23, and the French Open for men and women from September 4-22. These events are also open to the public.
"The French Polo Federation is extremely honored to welcome the Paris Games Polo Challenge to our country during the summer of the Paris Olympic Games 2024, with the support of FIP, the USPA and U.S. Polo Assn. at the prestigious Polo Club de Chantilly, headquarters of the French Polo Federation," said Jean-Edouard Mazery, President of the French Polo Federation. "This is a unique step for the French national team to play the USA Team during the Paris Olympic Games 2024, and a tremendous opportunity to develop a program for our French national team and promote our sport."
About U.S. Polo Assn. and USPA Global
U.S. Polo Assn. is the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), the governing body for the sport of polo in the United States and one of the country’s oldest sports governing bodies, founded in 1890. With a multi-billion-dollar global footprint and worldwide distribution through more than 1,100 U.S. Polo Assn. retail stores as well as thousands of additional points of distribution, U.S. Polo Assn. offers apparel, accessories, and footwear for men, women, and children in more than 190 countries worldwide. A recent, multi-year deal with ESPN to broadcast several of the premier polo championships in the world, sponsored by U.S. Polo Assn., has made the thrilling sport accessible to millions of sports fans globally for the very first time.
U.S. Polo Assn. has consistently been named one of the top global sports licensors alongside the NFL, NBA, and MLB, according to License Global. In addition, the sport-inspired brand is being recognized around the world with awards for global growth, expansion, licensing, and digital growth. Due to its tremendous success as a global brand, particularly in the last five years, U.S. Polo Assn. has been featured in Forbes, Fortune, Modern Retail, and GQ as well as on Yahoo Finance and Bloomberg, among many other noteworthy media sources around the world.
For more information, visit uspoloassnglobal.com and follow @uspoloassn.
USPA Global is a subsidiary of the USPA and manages the global, multi-billion-dollar U.S. Polo Assn. brand. Through its subsidiary, Global Polo Entertainment (GPE), USPA Global also manages Global Polo TV, which provides sports and lifestyle content. For more sports content, visit globalpolo.com.
About The Federation of International Polo
The Federation of International Polo (FIP) is the international federation representing the sport of polo, officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee. The FIP was founded in 1982 by representatives of eleven national polo associations, and it represents the national polo associations of more than 80 countries. Its principal aim is to enhance the international image and status of polo.
In addition to organizing international tournaments, the FIP develops international tournaments for children, conducts umpiring and coaching seminars, encourages participation in the sport at all levels and ages, and makes the international rules of polo through a cooperative agreement with the Asociación Argentina de Polo, the Hurlingham Polo Association of Great Britain and Ireland, and the United States Polo Association (USPA). Visit fippolo.com.
About the French Federation of Polo (FFP)
The Fédération Française de Polo (FFP) was created to make polo accessible to all, to promote the sport throughout France and to support the common interests of its member clubs in every way possible. The FFP organizes national and international polo competitions and championships, sets the technical rules for competitions by harmonizing them with foreign rules, and organizes the training and teaching of the equestrian discipline. Today, the FFP has over 30 affiliated clubs and more than 800 players within its organization. For more information, please visit francepolo.com.
About the United States Polo Association® (USPA)
The United States Polo Association (USPA) 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 almost 200 member clubs with thousands of individual members and oversees 40 national tournaments. For more information, please visit uspolo.org.
Contact Information
Stacey Kovalsky
VP Global PR and Communications
skovalsky@uspagl.com
+001.561.790.8036
Shannon Stilson
VP, Sports Marketing & Media
sstilson@uspagl.com
+001.561.227.6994
SOURCE: USPA Global Licensing Inc.
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