After four years, Delfín Uranga bids farewell to the Argentine Association of Polo, after a four years term as a President. A new board of directors is expected to be elected on Wednesday May 28, when a new President will be revealed. Marcos di Paola and Benjamín Araya are the two names on the race for the upcoming challenge to rule the AAP.
Delfín Uranga closes his presidency, with a letter of gratitude to all those who were a part of his rule – the board of directors, the under commissions, players, clubs, sponsors and the staff, both in Palermo and Pilar. And he emphasizes his family’s unconditional support, throghout these four challenging years.
DELFÍN URANGA’S LETTER
Dear friends and family of polo,
Along with the annual report, I want to share with all of you the closure of a very significative stage of my life – the honour to preside the Argentine Association of Polo, a task I performed during the last four years.
We assumed the position in 2021, under a very challenging context. The world was leaving a terrible pandemic behind, that left huge marks both in social and economic aspects. In such an uncertain scenario, we aimed to re-build our sport, learning from the adversity and turning obstacles into opportunities.
We managed to form a solid team, that represents polo as a whole – players (that included the participation of the President of the Argentine Association of Polo Players), breeders (alongside the Vice President of the Argentine Polo Pony Breeders Association), the polo community from all over the country, children, juveniles, amateurs, discipline and military polo. The Board Of Directors played a key role in developing our community.
The first step was to sort accounts. The income has been decreased due to the pandemic and put us in a difficult situation to fullfil our obligations. In order to normalize that situation, we encouraged new ways to earn incomes – concerts, maintain the Campo Argentino de Polo, Palermo, open during the whole year through several gastronomic and entertainment venues and we doubled the sponsors income.
Thanks to this effort, we stabilized the financial situation of the AAP, and we were able to focus on what was most important to us – more polo, more fans, more sponsors, more entertainement, more security. That way, we were able to encourage the spread of the sport not only in Argentina but also abroad.
We spread the “Federal Leagues” thoroghout the country, that allowed the provinces of Argentina to host tournaments; we added the -1 and -2 handicaps, in order to attract new players and have more polo. Pilar and Palermo opened their doors to greet them and play the finals of their competitions.
We created the Ladies World Cup, a crucial step to include more women within polo. The championship match of the last Women’s Argentine Open, with packed grandsstands, was the most significant achievement on this issue.
We also strengthened juvenile polo, by adding a new category, “Juveniles” and hosting more and more tournaments for kids. We created the Pro-Am Commission and we launched the President’s Cup, to strengthen the bond between companies and players.
We improved the Headquarters in Pilar – today, all the grounds are prepared for high goal contests. With regards to Palermo, we leveled ground 2 and we made a brand new ground 1.
We unified the Triple Crown, that created a synergy between the AAP, Tortugas and Hurlingham, as well as contributed to the renewal of the main ground at the Hurlingham Club,
It’s very difficult to summarize in a few lines all we went through, all we achieved, all we learned.
My deep gratitude to the Board of Directors – all of them gave their time and energy with the utmost generosity.To the under-comissions, for their commitment and dedication. To the clubs, playres and organisations, who trusted in us. To the sponsors, for walking side to side with us. To the staff both in Palermo and Pilar, for their commitment and professionalism. And above all, my eternal gratitude to my family, for their love and unconditional support.
I bid farewell with my huge gratitude and a big hug.
Delfín Uranga
President