CAIH 2023 – The Winners

In addition to winning the CAIH for the first time, they managed to stretch Córdoba’s advantage as the most champion province of the contest after beating, in an undefeated duel, La Ilusión from Santa Fe by 12-5, on Friday 5/12 on field 1 of the Salta Polo Club, closing the 33rd version of the Argentine Championship of the Interior with Handicap (CAIH) RUS, for the Sesquicentennial Cup of the May Revolution.

 Lucas Boccolini won the most important title in the interior of the country for the second time, after having achieved it in 2011 as a member of the El Chañar team;  while his three teammates Manuel Serra, Sebastián Petracchi and Kristos Magrini inscribed his name for the first time in the history of the Cup.

 “Keko” is the fifth Magrini to win the CAIH, after Sergio (3 titles), Matías (2), Juan Cruz (2) and Santino (1).  The Magrini dynasty did it again!

 The final results were the following:

 SESQUICENTENNIAL CUP OF THE MAY REVOLUTION

 Ivi Maray (Córdoba) 12, The Illusion (Santa Fe) 5.

 It was a very disputed duel between two teams that wanted to register their name as tournament champion for the first time.  The Cordovan team defended with great force the three advantage goals received due to their lower overall value, while the Santa Fe team, pushed from the bottom by the veteran of a thousand battles Hugo Barabucci and by Facundo Retamar Carnero, gradually approached the scoreboard.  But between the end of the fourth chukker and the middle of the fifth, La Ilusión was left with one less man due to a double yellow card (first Retamar and then “Billy” Dellarosa) and there Ivi Maray scored 5 consecutive goals from the scorer of the game, “ Keko” Magrini, to take a great advantage that finally gave the Cordovan team the trophy.

 ROBERT CAVANAGH CUP

 Chapaleufú (La Pampa) 12, Los Sauces (San Luis) 11.

 The San Luis team, defending the Cavanagh 2022 trophy, faced the team that had won the major title the previous year.  Two formations that have known each other for several seasons: on one side the Lariguet brothers and on the other the Sánchez family.

 And as always happens, it was a great match, with several changes to the scoreboard and a suspenseful ending.  Although Los Sauces started better, with a very effective Iván Maldonado, Chapaleufú turned the score around thanks to the good performance of Pipo Goñi and Flaco Lariguet.

 Despite having gone down three goals in the last set, the team led by the experienced Juan Carlos Sánchez -59 years old- burned the ships, got within range and was very close to drawing, but the title remained in the hands of the pampeanos.

 FRIENDSHIP CUP

 La Arisca (Tucumán) 10, Airampó Cartagena (Salta) 9.

 In a very even match that seemed to be won by one of the local teams that starred in the tournament, the Tucumans from La Arisca played a sensational final chukker, tied the score to take the game to extra time and there, with a golden goal from Mateo Lalor, they were left with the third cup in dispute.  Congratulations!

THE NUMBERS

 On this occasion, the tournament had the participation of 8 teams with between 9 and 16 valuation goals, representing the provinces of Salta (2), Córdoba, La Pampa, Tucumán, Santa Fe, San Luis and Buenos Aires, which participated by first time in tournament history.

 La “Linda” hosted the tournament for the seventh time in the history, after 9 years without hosting the CAIH.  The contest was held there in 1988 –first edition–, 94, 99, 04, 08 and 2014.

 The province of Córdoba took more advantage as the most winner of the CAIH, now with 13 titles (Río Cuarto, 5; Fortín El Sauce and V. Mackenna, 2; El Chañar, Washington, Pompeya and Ivi Maray, 1);  followed by La Pampa, 9 times champion, always thanks to Chapaleufú, the most winning club in the contest and defending champion.  Behind Córdoba and La Pampa appear Entre Ríos, with 5 titles;  Santa Fe, with 3;  and close Tucumán, Salta and Corrientes, with 1.

Among the players, Alberto Garzarón is the maximum champion of the CAIH, with 5 conquests (1989, 2005, 2012 and 2016), always integrating the Chapaleufú team; followed by Horacio Etcheverry, Christian Guevara, Sergio Magrini, Ignacio Tillous and Sebastián Borghi, with 3.