Malta Polo Club wins international Polo tournament in France

In Longvillers, on the outskirts of Paris, an international polo tour‐ nament was held last weekend (Saturday and Sunday) at the prestigious La Mariana Club, featuring seven competing teams. Malta participated with two teams, and while only one could emerge victo‐ rious, it was a Maltese team that proudly lifted the trophy. The second Maltese team also performed exceptionally well, securing three wins out of four matches.

This successful participation was made possible through the finan‐ cial backing of EquestriMalta, the national governing body for equestrian sport, which has been a constant source of support since its establishment nearly four years ago. The trip also included a three‐ day intensive training camp, where the Maltese players had the op‐ portunity to train and compete on grass pitches using borrowed horses, under the expert guidance of Mariano Lopez — a highly accomplished professional polo player with an impressive track record and deep experience in the sport.

Malta’s teams were composed as follows:

Winning team – Malta Polo Club:

Petra Vella, Becky Gera, Ivan Camilleri, and Mariano Lopez.

Team EquestriMalta:

Greg Gera, Bradley Farrugia, Jeremy Besancon, and Vivien Marchal. The Maltese squads were accompanied by EquestriMalta Chief Executive Max Zammit, who expressed pride in the continuous progress shown by Maltese players in the sport of polo, year after year. He highlighted the value of international training camps like this one, which emphasize technical skill development and team strategy, while also offering personalized attention to each individual athlete.

Zammit reaffirmed EquestriMalta’s commitment to continuing to support and promote such opportunities, both now and in the future, to further enhance Malta’s standing in the international polo scene.

Jeremy Besancon, the driving force behind the initiative and a Mal‐ tese player who has cultivated strong ties with the French club over the years, also thanked EquestriMalta for its financial support. He ex‐ pressed his deep satisfaction with the players’ performances and noted how beneficial the training camp proved to be for all partici‐ pants.

While he celebrated the Maltese victory, Besancon was particularly proud that the winning team included two Maltese women — a clear sign that polo in Malta is not only attracting more female players but also seeing significant improvement in their competitive level. This was echoed by several opposing players, who were already familiar with the Maltese team and remarked on the notable progress made.

Besancon also pointed out that the youngest player in the tourna‐ ment was 17‐year‐old Bradley Farrugia, who made a strong impres‐ sion and helped underscore the outstanding performances delivered by all the Maltese players throughout the event.