Melissa Ganzi made history in February by becoming the first international woman to play polo in Saudi Arabia when she stepped out onto the field at Richard Mille AlUla Desert Polo. Her latest accomplishment is a huge step forward for polo and echoes the feeling within the sport that Richard Mille AlUla Desert Polo is a game-changer for the sport.
Part of the Richard Mille team, which also featured La Dolfina player Pablo Mac Donough and Saudi Arabia’s own rising star Noor Abu Khadra, Ganzi reached the final of the event, narrowly losing 5-4 to the AlUla team which featured Adolfo Cambiaso – widely regarded as the best player in the history of the sport, HRH Prince Salman bin Sultan bin Salman and Emirati champion Mohammed Al Habtoor.
On #WorldWildlifeDay, we take a look at some of Saudi Arabia’s most iconic wild animals and how they’re being protected: https://t.co/N2NJwX1nWL pic.twitter.com/vfVC3eIAkx
— About Her (@AboutHerOFCL) March 3, 2022
Ganzi was also named most valuable player in the tournament – an incredible achievement for a remarkable woman who keeps raising the bar in polo.
After entering the sport in 2000, she became the first woman ever to win the Monty Waterbury Cup just a year later and then became the first woman to win the coveted Molina Cup at the Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships, the most attended polo event in the United States, the first woman to win the 2017 United States Arena Handicap Tournament, and the first female player to compete in and win the Snow Polo World Cup tournament in St. Moritz, coming at the 35th edition in 2016.
Her career to date stands alongside the very best in the sport, and as co-owner of the Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington, Florida, she and husband Marc have helped professional teams including Richard Mille, Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, and Casablanca prepare for major tournaments.
The @Saudi_SFA expects more than 10,000 people to join in on KSA's very first full marathon, which will take place this Saturday https://t.co/G2U6XjP1ZQ
— About Her (@AboutHerOFCL) March 3, 2022
She is also the co-founder of the 26-goal World Polo League, the highest level of the sport played outside of Argentina, in 2019, which is due to return in 2022, and has played an integral role in introducing ChukkerTV, the leader in livestreamed polo broadcasting of games, highlights and shows around the globe.
Melissa is committed to the future of the sport as well and her polo clubs have staged ground-breaking events including junior tournaments, the International Gay Polo League Tournament, Women’s Championship Tournament, and Polo School at Grand Champions during spring and autumn seasons which has nurtured several top rising juniors and professional polo players.
