LivingPolo.com

LP -Congratulations on the team’s first victory of the new season. How did it feel to get back to competition?

Rashid -Thank you very much, first thing. Really it was a great day and the beginning of the season in Dubai. This was the first game against the Moscow polo team and of course, I mean it was really a great day, our team did really well, our team won 7-2 and it was a really nice ‘cause, with Prince Romanoff from the Russian royal family was there, and it was a good game, very good game.

LP -It seems to be a very promising start for Habtoor Polo Team, is the team already set up for the season or it will depend on the tournaments you play?

Rashid -Well, we are playing and we started almost a couple of weeks ago, we have almost four fours here. We have a four-goal tournament, we have a 12-goal tournament and of course we have the Gold Cup in March, with eight teams and everything will be monitored by the HPA, so we are ready, we are getting the horses ready, but still it’s just the beginning of the season.

LP -How special was it for you, as the leader of the team, to have your family playing along?

Rashid -It was great of course, to play with my brother, my nephew, and of course we had Mario Gómez with us. It was fantastic to be the whole family and of course some of the other games we are going to play me, my brother, my son Tariq, my nephew Habtoor and it’s always great to play with one’s family, it’s a great feeling.

LP -It may be too soon to talk about your next season in Europe, but what do you have in mind?

Rashid -We are looking at a few tournaments, we are not sure yet which ones, but for sure we’re playing the Queen’s Cup and the Gold Cup. So next year, yes.

LP -Which will be the key tournaments that Dubai will host for the world of polo in 2010?

Rashid -The Gold Cup on the 5th of March, this will be the biggest tournament-ever at the city of Dubai and it will be the first time with eight teams, with 14 internationals and 14 locals.