SEVEN-GOAL handicap player Federillo Uribe of Colombia is among ten international players who will be participating in the annual Colombian Emeralds/Barbados Tourism Authority Barbados Open which starts on Sunday at the Clifton Polo Field, St Thomas.

Apart from Uribe, the other visiting polo players are Rafael Silva of Uruguay; Caston Moore, Pablo Crespin, Manuel Crespo, Max Moore and Fortunato Gomez Romero of Argentina; and Tony Pidgley, Malcolm Borwick and Jamie Dickson of Britain.

They will play alongside Barbadian players in the five competing teams.

Following the opening ceremony on Sunday, a Cockspur-sponsored team, captained by Kent Cole, will oppose a Suzuki side, led by Bruce Bayley, at 3:30 p.m.

The second game will be between Courtesy, skippered by Sir Charles Williams, and Mango Bay, which will have the recuperating Stephen Williams as its non-playing captain. His place is expected to be taken by Wayne Archer.

There will be another double-header on Tuesday at the Waterhall Polo Field, St James, before the series switches back to Clifton on Thursday and Friday before climaxing at Waterhall on Sunday, March 19.

The Open was launched at the Barbados Tourism Authority headquarters yesterday with Colombian Emeralds' chief executive officer Peter Allen hailing the Open as a sports-tourism venture.

"We recognise that this is the premier polo event of the year in Barbados," he said.

"We believe that sports tourism is what will help differentiate Barbados from other Caribbean islands. Polo is a fast-growing sport and it is enjoyed by both locals and tourists."

BTA sports tourism officer Winston Carter said the BTA was pleased to be associated with the event.

"We at the BTA will be trying our best to assist the polo club in promoting not only this event but polo generally, and we are very pleased to have an event of this standard that can raise the standard of polo in Barbados," he said.

Sir Charles said polo had made "phenomenal strides over the last four to five years" and was holding its own, with record crowds now watching the sport.

Teams (with players handicap and country bracketed):

Cockspur - Kent Cole (captain, Barbados, 1 goal), Alex Cole (Barbados, 2 goals), Rafael Silva (Uruguay, 6 goals), Pablo Crespin (Argentina, 4 goals)

Highland Spring - Teddy Williams (captain, Barbados, 4 goals), Jeff Evelyn (Barbados, 1 goal), Malcolm Borwick (Britain, 6 goals), Richard Gooding (Barbados, 2 goals)

Suzuki - Bruce Bayley (captain, Barbados, 1 goal), Philip Tempro (Barbados, 2 goals), Gaston Moore (Argentina, 6 goals), Max Moore (Argentina, 4 goals)

Courtesy - Sir Charles Williams (Barbados, 1 goal), Manuel Crespo (Argentina, 5 goals), Fortunato Gomez Romero (Argentina, 4 goals), Jamie Dickson (Britain, 4 goals).

Mango Bay - Tony Pidgley (Britain, 1 goal), Danny Atwell (Barbados, 4 goals), Federilo Uribe (Colombia, 7 goals), Stephen Williams (captain, Barbados, 2 goals), Wayne Archer (Barbados).