Saturday Nov 16, 2024
Saturday Nov 16, 2024
Tuesday, 8 March 2016 01:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
In one of the most intense and nail-biting tuk-tuk tournaments, Cantaloupe & Co. bagged the winning prize in a fiercely competitive match of polo which took place in Galle last week.
The Lakderana 2016 Tuk-tuk Polo which took place at the Marine Walk football field outside Galle Fort saw four local teams and four international teams fighting tooth and nail for the coveted prize of being the champions.
“The game was certainly intense, unimaginably competitive, very challenging and fun at the same time,” said Yasser Farook, Director at Cantaloupe & Co. “It was a crazy spectacle of stunts from these trundling tuks. As participants, it was very intense from the get-go till the last ball. Winning a game has never been more exhilarating.”
The Marine Walk football field saw tuk-tuks charging across the sandy terrain, kicking up clouds of dust as the mallet-wielding players attempted to take a whack at the ball. All the while, instructing the driver on where and how to steer to next.
Each team comprised of three individuals; the winning team Cantaloupe had Yasser Farook, Ruben Derksen, Nadeem Rajabdeen and Thibaut de Saint-Denis in their team. Tuk-tuk polo makes use of the speed and maneuverability of the tuk-tuk coupled with the exceptional skills of the drivers and players alike.
The wacky sporting event was organised by Anglo-Australian expat Geoffrey Dobbs and his niece Rachel Dobbs. “The wonderful thing about tuk-tuk polo, is that anyone can get involved,” said Rachel adding that “after the success of this year, we hope to take this sport to the next level and promote it as a nationwide game.”
“This sport requires a lot of skill – the players not only have to concentrate on the ball but also must direct the driver. Equally the drivers have the difficult job of ensuring there are no crashes, or as few as possible. Last Sunday, there were definitely a few near misses with tuk-tuks ending up on two wheels.”
