Globalport Plays Maltese Falcons For Sterling Cup In Sunday Feature Game At Grand Champions

WELLINGTON, FL., March 15, 2025---Maltese Falcons will defend its title when they play Globalport in the Sterling Cup final Sunday in the feature game at Grand Champions Polo Club.

By Sharon Robb

Photos by Candace Ferreira

The 22-goal teams will play for the prestigious and historical solid gold trophy. Game time is 4 p.m. and admission is free.

The Maltese Falcons lineup is Melissa Ganzi, Nic Roldan, 7, Gonzalito Pieres, 8, and Santi Toccalino, 7. Globalport's team is Mikee Romero, Lucas Diaz Alberdi, 6, Beltran Lauhle, 6, and 10-goaler Barto Castagnola.

In last year's championship, Maltese Falcons defeated Audi and Newport. On the final day of a two-day round robin, Maltese Facons (Melissa Ganzi, 0, Grant Ganzi, 3, Nic Roldan, 8, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, 7) defeated Audi (Marc Ganzi, 1, Tomacho Pieres, 6, Pablo Spinacci, 6, Tommy Collingwood, 5), 9-6, and Newport (Gene Goldstein, 0, Jason Crowder, 5, Sugar Erskine, 6, Fred Mannix, 7), 14-13, to clinch the title.

The win marked the first time a mother-son duo won the Sterling Cup. They combined for seven goals on the final day. Melissa Ganzi finished with 11 for the tournament.

The Sterling Cup was resurrected nine years ago after a 22-year absence. It was brought back by Grand Champions President Melissa Ganzi in hopes of recapturing polo’s glory days.

It was the second tournament of the 22-goal season at the old Palm Beach Polo and Country Club after the January Challenge Cup and last played in 1995. It was considered the 22-goal championship and attracted as many as 18 teams including Saniva B.G.K., Pegasus, C.S. Brook, Grant’s Farm Manor, Revlon, Calumet Farm, Pony Express, Isla Carroll, White Birch and Catamount.

“It’s a great trophy, one of the great 22-goal trophies,” Ganzi said. “When you came here in the early ’90s and 2000s, you wanted to win the Sterling Cup. It was one of the premier 22-goal tournaments before you warmed up for the U.S. Open.”

The Sterling Cup has featured several historical moments including the 2018 Sterling Cup tournament when Adolfo, Mia and Poroto Cambiaso made history by winning their first-ever high goal tournament together. Along with teammate Magoo Laprida, Valiente knocked off pre-tournament favorite Audi, 10-4, in the final. Mia Cambiaso was MVP. The father and son, Adolfo and Poroto, have won the title three times.

During the winter polo season, Grand Champions Polo Club, the nation's largest and most innovative USPA-sanctioned polo club nestled in the heart of the world's winter equestrian capital, hosts a wide range of tournaments: 6, 8, 12, 20, and 26-goal  World Polo League, The Polo School Women's Weekly Polo League, WCT Finals, several Polo Training Foundation junior tournaments, World Polo League Pride and Sunset Chukkers & Cocktails at both Grand Champions and Santa Rita Polo Farm.

Grand Champions and Santa Rita Polo Farm is the largest and most unique private 102-acre polo facility in Wellington with 212 stalls in nine self-contained barns, two tracks, five climate-controlled tack rooms, vet room, staff quarters, guest house and four polo fields with state-of-the-art underground irrigation and short work arena. The club has 10 well-manicured world-class fields at GCPC and Santa Rita.

Grand Champions Polo Club caters to men, women and youth polo players at all levels. Its' expert staff can customize a complete playing experience including horses, pros and certified umpires in addition to lessons and practice sessions as part of its' Polo On Demand program.

The Polo School, now located at the former Pony Express facility, operates in Wellington January through May and September through November. The stand-alone USPA-sanctioned polo club is dedicated to teaching polo to all ages.

For more information on leagues or The Polo School contact Juan Bollini at 561-346-1099 or Cale Newman at 561-876-2930.