International Polo Tour Sets First Antarctic Match

Posted onAuthorChris Owen

  • World Record Event: The International Polo Tour (IPT) hosted the first-ever foot polo match on the continent of Antarctica.
  • Luxury Partnership: The historic voyage was executed in partnership with Hotels & Resorts at Sea Luxury Cruises, utilizing an ultra-luxury Scenic Discovery Yacht.
  • Expedition Scope: The adventure combined elite sports with luxury travel and scientific exploration, featuring expert briefings, helicopter overflights, and submarine dives.
  • Future Plans: IPT is charting subsequent elite adventures, including voyages aboard the Four Seasons Yacht in 2026, an event in Thailand in 2027, and an Amazon Expedition in 2028

The International Polo Tour (IPT) recently completed an expedition to Antarctica in partnership with Hotels & Resorts at Sea Luxury Cruises, setting a world record by hosting the first-ever foot polo match on the continent. The journey, which was conducted aboard an ultra-luxury Scenic Discovery Yacht, combined luxury travel with high-level adventure and a celebrity athlete presence.

The expedition began in Argentina at the Puesto Viejo fields with a grass polo match between the Hotels at Sea Polo Team and the Scenic Luxury Cruises / Resorts at Sea Polo Team. This match set the tone for the subsequent journey to Antarctica. Tareq Salahi, Founder of IPT and Chairman of Hotels at Sea, characterized the expedition as fusing polo with a frontier adventure, aiming for a historic and previously unseen experience.

Once in Antarctica, the voyage transitioned into a multidimensional expedition. Guests engaged in expert briefings led by scientists such as geologists, historians, and marine biologists. The historic foot polo match in Antarctica culminated in a tie, which organizers noted honored the sportsmanship of the competing teams. This event was highlighted as an extremely rare feat, achieved by only a tiny fraction of the global population.

Beyond the game, the expedition provided a range of other high-end, immersive activities. These included helicopter overflights of the Antarctic landscapes, submarine dives into the Southern Ocean, and relaxing on-deck hot-tub moments. These experiences reflect the mission of IPT and Hotels & Resorts at Sea to integrate elite sports, luxury, and scientific exploration into world-class travel adventures. IPT has already announced future expeditions, including a Four Seasons Yacht voyage in 2026, a Thailand adventure in 2027, and an Amazon Expedition in 2028.