Playing for charity
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To officially launch the tournament, Anantara Resorts will host a kick-off match in Bangkok on September 21 this year. The event is open to the public and an afternoon of celebrities, seasoned elephant polo players, colourful parades and pachyderms will provide a preview of the event.
This popular event, ranked as the 6th largest event on the Thai tourism calendar was introduced to Thailand in 2001 and is a charitable event that raises money for the country’s National Elephant Institute in Lampang, Northern Thailand.
Anantara has its own Elephant Camp located within the grounds of the resort. On an on-going basis, resident Director of Elephants, John Roberts, works closely with the Thai government’s Elephant Conservation Centre in Lampang to develop Anantara’s camp as an elephant sanctuary.
The funds raised from the 2006 tournament are being used to custom-build an elephant-sized ambulance which will be donated to the National Elephant Institute.
To date the tournament has raised over US$175,000 for the National Elephant Institute, which provides medical care, sustenance, employment, welfare and mahout training to Thailand’s elephant population.
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