Adolfo Cambiaso
Adolfo Cambiaso | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Polo Player |
| Spouse | Maria Vazquez |
| Children | Mia, and Adolfo (Jnr) |
| Parent | Adolfo (Snr) & Martina de Estrada Lainez |
Adolfo Cambiaso born April 15, 1975 in Cañuelas, Buenos Aires Province is an Argentine polo player, considered by many to be the best player in the world[1][2][3], and one of the few players with a 10-goal handicap, which he reached at the record age of 17 in the US and 19 in Argentina[4]. He is often referred to as Adolfito[4].
Biography
Early Years
From a young age, his mother Martina de Estrada Lainez, encouraged her son and his half brother Salvador Socas Estrada to play polo. By the time he was 12 years of age, his handicap reached 1-Goal. A year later, with a 3-goal handicap, he won the Eduardo Heguy Cup with the La Martina team, playing with his father (also called Adolfo). With the San Diego team he won in 1988, at age 14, the Campaña del Desierto Cup, and then a year later the Renault Cup Open with La Martina, reaching a 6-goal handicap[4].
Career
At the age of 16, (1991) he won the Gold Cup with Tramontana, and the Warwickshire Cup with Ellerston, both in England. In Argentina he won the El Gráfico Cup with La Aguada–La Martina, and with La Martina both the Renault Cup Open and the Cámara de Diputados Cup, obtaining a 7-goal handicap[4].
In 1992 he won a number of championships and cups, and significantly he started playing the Abierto Argentino de Palermo with the Ellerstina team. On his first match, against Los Indios, Adolfo scored 16 times to set the record of goals in one match. The championship ended with Ellestina's defeat at the final to Indios Chapaleufú Marlboro, and Adolfito with 9-goals handicap[4].
In 1993 he participated, and won a number of tournaments but didn't participate in the Abierto Argentino de Palermo[4].
In 1994 he won the Triple Corona (Abierto de Tortugas, Abierto de Hurlingham and Abierto Argentino de Palermo) with Ellerstina, and became the youngest player in polo history to reach 10-goal handicap, at only 19 years[4].
The following years brought more trophies, including in 1995 the World Cup of the Americas (USA) with White Birch, Copa República Argentina with La Martina in 1996, 1997 and 1998, the Queen's Cup and Prince of Wales Trophy (England) with Ellerston White in 1998 and 1999, the U.S. Open with Outback in 1999, 2000 and 2001, the Copa de Plata and Copa de Oro (Spain) with Outback in 1999, the Queen's Cup 2000 with Geebung, the British Open, Indian Empire Shield Cup and Warwickshire Cup in 2001 with Dubai, Gold Cup of the Americas 2002 with Jedi, Abierto de Hurlingham 2001, 2002 and 2006, and 'Abierto Argentino 2002 with La Dolfina[4].
He received several distinctions, among them the Olimpia de Plata award as the most important Argentine polo player of 1997, best player at the final of the Abierto Argentino 1997, and the record of 67 goals, in the 1998 Abierto Argentino. He also plays for the Argentine national team since 2002, when he won the Copa Quilmes.
In 2005, with La Dolfina team consisting of himself, Lucas Monteverde, Mariano Aguerre and Bartolome Castagnola, they again won the coveted Abierto Argentino at Palermo, triumphing over the, then unbeaten, Ellerstina team consisting of the two Pieres bothers, Facundo and Gonzalito (both 10 goal players), and their cousins the Macdonoughs. The final score 20-19, represented the highest scoring Abierto's final ever, with Cambiaso scoring 15 of his teams 20 goals, including the golden goal in extra time.[5]. In 2006, La Dolfina team won again the Abierto Argentina, this time 14-13 against La Aguada[5]
Of his horses, the most notable were Lili, Ilusión, Sospechosa, La Osa, and his favourite; Colibrí. Today one of his best polo horses is indeed his world famous stallion Aiken Cura. Aiken Cura, the leading Argentine polo stallion, was recently seriously injured during the final of the 2006 Argentine Open and has suffered further setbacks in treatment of the broken bone in his near forleg[6].
This unfortunate injury happened in the extra chucka and was taken off in the horse ambulance, over the road to the Race Hospital to be treated. It forced Aikens early retirement from the polo field. Yet further worries have occurred as the injury has restricted blood flow to the limb and after amputation a prosthesis is being considered. The prize-winning stallion will retire to stud[6].
Marriage
Adolfo is married to one of South America's most famous models, Maria Vazquez. They have two children Mia, and Adolfo jr. Adolfo jr was born during the Abierto Argentino, in the middle of a game against Centauros-Beaufort, which his father left half-way through in order to be present at the birth of his son[7].
References
External links
- Profile at World Polo Tour
- La Dolfina. Retrieved September 9, 2005.