The 12th annual King's Cup Elephant Polo Tournament, held recently in the seaside town of Hua Hin, ended on a high note with fun on the field, glamour in the ballroom and money in the coffers to be donated to various elephant welfare projects.
The event was attended by teams from all over the world, as well as local celebrities and VIP guests including Thai supermodels Cindy Bishop and Methinee Kingpayome, Miss Tiffany Pattaya Cabaret performers and former international rugby players Olo Brown, Robin Brooke and Charles Riechelmann.
Sixteen elite teams battled it out over five consecutive days for the championship in this unique event. Sunday's final, which was presided over by a representative of HM the King, Privy Councillor Rear Admiral ML Usni Pramoj, saw a shock win with first timers Bangkok Bank triumphing over Mercedes-Benz in an action-packed game resulting in a 13-10 final scoreline.
This year, for the first time, saw the introduction of Chang Noi Day (Children's Day), while Saturday was designated Ladies' Day, with the best-dressed lady winning a holiday to Anantara in the Maldives.
On Chang Noi Day, hundreds of children from local schools were invited to visit the pitch, where there was a baby elephant camp and educational games teaching children the benefits of conservation efforts for elephants in Thailand.
Anantara's schools competition encouraged children to draw a picture with the theme "elephants are in my heart". The competition attracted hundreds of entries and was won by seven-year-old Krittapas Petcharanon from Chiang Mai, who joined the festivities with his family and enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet players, guests and the elephants.
Saturday night's gala dinner at the Anantara Hua Hin Resort and Spa hosted a gathering of top dignitaries and well-known celebrities, including Thanpuying Varaporn Pramoj, deputy TAT governor Vilaiwan Twichasri, Jate and Joy Sopitpongsathorn, Torchok Balankura, Naphalai Areesorn, Ardhawadee Jiramaneekul, Sayam Sethaputra, Kristina Sethaputra, Ekkapong na Ranong and Kunyarat Pladisai. The night's auction raised more than four million baht for various elephant charity projects taking the amount raised to date by the tournament to an impressive 24 million baht.
A total of 50 street elephants took part in this year's tournament, during which they were well fed, provided with a native forest environment and received essential vitamin supplements, full veterinary checks and care.
Street life can be tough for an elephant, walking through crowded tourist areas and busy roads for 10 hours a night, forced to rest during the day in small green spaces within the cities often without shade and water. The King's Cup schedule is deliberately designed to give these elephants rest and relaxation on a scale they are never afforded in their "normal" lives.
The tournament was started in 2001 by Anantara Hotels, Resorts and Spas, and has grown to become one of the biggest charitable events in Thailand, raising funds for projects that better the lives of Thailand's elephant population. Lead sponsors for the event were Audemars Piguet, the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Anantara Hotels, Resorts and Spas.
