Alshair Fiyaz Brings Europe Its First Futuristic Polo Club

This article was produced in partnership with Polo Club Saint-Tropez Resort and Country Club

Serial entrepreneur Alshair Fiyaz knows how to spot an opportunity.

The businessman and philanthropist has turned ideas into viable realities that affect both local as well as national economies in a range of industries from shipping to hospitality.

So, when he looked at polo—a sport he’s been a longstanding devotee of—he saw room for improvement and modernization.

Polo clubs are often associated with old-world luxury. And in the modern era, the sport has been largely confined to traditional, old-money communities such as Windsor and Palm Beach, where anachronistic sensibilities still hold sway.

Without change, Fiyaz deduced that polo could soon become a relic of past times, much like how fox hunting and other antiquated regal pastimes are seen.

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Specifically Fiyaz saw an opportunity to give the sport an overdue facelift in Gassin, a beautiful countryside village next to Saint-Tropez where the Polo Club of Saint-Tropez is located.

After acquiring the Polo Club of Saint-Tropez in 2014, Fiyaz added modern amenities to the grounds and broadened the club’s focus to include contemporary interests in health, wellness, and recreation.

Together with the club manager Justin Gaunt, Fiyaz has instituted modern-day facilities such as a cryotherapy clinic, grass as well as clay tennis courts, and a state-of-the-art fitness center to provide guests a well-rounded range of activities.

In Saint-Tropez, the Polo Club is already shifting the image and broadening appeal of modern-day polo, and for the sport, Fiyaz is providing a new archetype that can enhance polo’s sustainability in today’s world.