The Dutta Corp riding high on eve of Gauntlet final debut
On the eve of The Dutta Corp’s first ever Gauntlet of Polo final – the C.V. Whitney Cup at the National Polo Centre – the team is riding high with measured confidence. Since 2019 The Dutta Corp have been knocking on the door of a high goal tournament win in Wellington and this year, with a young team, playing above their handicap, they could be poised to achieve it. Standing in their way is La Dolfina/Scone featuring 10-goal Poroto Cambiaso and the horsepower that goes along with him.
“It’s going to be very tough tomorrow,” said Facundo Llosa, after The Dutta Corp’s final team practice at Port Mayaca Polo Club. “Like the semifinal, like all the games we’ve been playing.” The Dutta Corp took on Poroto’s cousin and fellow 10-goaler ‘Jeta’ Castagnola playing for Pilot in the semi final of the United States Polo Association’s C.V. Whitney Cup. The Dutta Corp won a convincing 16-9. “If we play the way we want to play – with intensity, being good teammates, and disciplined – we’ll have a chance to win,” added Facundo, who is new to the Dutta team this winter.
Tim Dutta, whose son Timmy plays alongside Facundo, Lucas Diaz Alberdi and Dylan Rossiter for The Dutta Corp, believes this could be their year with expectations already surpassed. “Honestly when we built the team in May or June of last year the objective was three semi-finals, so we are already winning getting to the finals,” Tim said. “We’re not afraid of anyone. We’ve been there in the semi-finals a few times, we lost by one, we lost in overtime a few times, but we never had a team like this.”
Adjustments were made to the original Dutta line up when Felipe ‘Pipe’ Miguens broke his leg in Argentina and Dylan was brought in as substitute. “He’s [Dylan’s] playing really well – impressive,” Facundo said. “With Lucas and Timmy, we have great chemistry.”
While ‘Pipe’ may not be playing in this tournament, he will be joining later in the season and meanwhile, he is still contributing. “He is a big part of the team because we are using all his horses and after this he will play with us,” said Piki Diaz Alberdi, Lucas’ father, and team coach.
Piki has coached Timmy individually for 10 years in Argentina as well as the The Dutta Corp team in Florida. “We have a nice team,” the former Argentine 10-goal player said. “Young people, they all want to win. We try everything. We have a nice chemistry between them. We win, we win. We lose, we lose. It’s that simple.”
Chemistry being mentioned more than once – the blueprint for the team, was drawn up with this element in mind. “When we built the team, we built it with friends inside and out and players in position,” said Tim. “Not putting a player in a position that they don’t naturally belong there – and with Piki’s outstanding coaching and stewardship, we’re excited. We’re really excited. This is a team that’s 28 goals in Argentina and we have 22 goals here. They’re playing amazing, you know. And one has to win, one has to lose. But we’re already there.”
Tomorrow ‘s showdown is the first final in the three tournaments of the USPA’s Gauntlet of Polo, – the USPA Gold Cup and U.S. Open Polo Championship are to follow. The Dutta Corp line up against a high goal heavyweight operation in La Dolfina/Scone – David Paradice, Poroto and his effective wingmen, Rufino Merlos and Jesse Bray. Last year The Dutta Corp won the Retama Cup – the subsidiary of the C.V. Whitney – beating high goal giants Park Place in the process. “We won Retama last year, which was great,” said Tim. “We beat Park Place. So we were there, but we didn’t finish it and I hope tomorrow we bring it home. That’s our dream.”
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