A group of eight American women polo players of the American Polo
The association headed by its commissioner Michael Farah took advantage of a week in Rabat and Marrakech playing polo and to commemorate “200 years of friendship” between the United States and the Kingdom of Morocco
Members of the American Polo Association (APA), the premier group promoting women in “the sport of kings” around the world, traveled to Morocco to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the American Legation in Tangier as a symbol of friendship between the two countries.
Rabii BENADADA, the governor of APA in Morocco hosted a four-day women’s polo event involving two teams, Hollywood and Beverly Hills. The delegation inspired the organization of the first Moroccan women’s polo team.
The US Embassy in Rabat, Morocco hosted the US delegation on the first evening for a dinner with cultural attaché Stephen Weeks.
Attaché Stephen Weeks personally toured the US Embassy’s exhibit, “Voice and Stone 200 Years of History in the American Legation Building and in Morocco” at the National Library of Rabat. The exhibition features a range of historical objects representing the political, security, economic and cultural ties between Morocco and the United States, from a Lego model of the Mars Rover to Jimi Hendrix’s boots to the gold medal. Olympic and Nawal El Moutawakel’s running shoes. The exhibit even features a dress worn by pop star Lady Gaga.
“This exhibit tells the story of interpersonal relationships, of how Moroccans and ordinary Americans have together achieved extraordinary achievements over the past years, decades and centuries. Michael Farah, founder of the American Polo Association and former American diplomat, Honorary Consul General, said, “These achievements have left a permanent mark on our common culture, in music, science, art, sport, and many other areas.
Throughout 2021, the U.S. Embassy celebrates the U.S.-Moroccan friendship with a series of events promoting the close ties between the two countries. One of the highlights of the trip was when Commissioner Michael Farah delivered a speech in appreciation of the goodwill between the two countries and presented Stephen Weeks of the US embassies with a US polo championship medal. Michael Farah himself is an Honorary Consul General in the global diplomatic community, He has led numerous US trade delegations across the Middle East.
In addition to playing polo, the women took camel rides, shopping trips to the local markets of Rabat and the souks of the old medina of Marrakech, as well as enjoying a traditional Moroccan dinner and folklore showing a quintessential Moroccan Riad, where people watching was as delicious as the food, allowing polo players to live like a local citizen in Morocco.
The delegation included the Hollywood women’s polo team, Captain Rosy Keyfauver (California), Kendra Lauren Gros (Colorado), Julie Empey (California) and Kelly Coldiron (Oklahoma). While the Beverly Hills women’s team was led by captain Megan Judge (California) and included Susan Harris (California), Mary Linares (New York) and Kerstie Allen (Florida).
Polo, the world’s oldest team sport, is known as “The Sport of Kings” using a long stick (mallet) and a ball. The objective of the game is to score goals against the opposing team as in other team sports such as hockey, except that it is played on horseback.
It was the start of a world tour that included events across the United States featuring female polo teams traveling for charity and Good Will tours.
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