Rommy Gianni about polo, sportive daily routine and ambitions

“I believe the discipline, persistence and sacrifice you commit to sport”. Rommy Gianni about polo, sportive daily routine and ambitions

What is our life? A game! And is it possible to choose any more aristocratic and competitive game than polo? We talked to Rommy Gianni, the passionate Founder and Captain of The Monte Carlo Polo Team, about modern polo, sports lifestyle and his vision of the nearest future.

Rommy, how did your acquaintance with polo begin? Why is this sport became so interesting to you?

My passion for polo began at the age of 20. I worked with the family business in the real estate, and my father was already a polo player since many years. We played together in his team for some years. And then I eventually created the fort polo team in Monaco — The Monte Carlo Polo Team. As a team, we won many trophies in the past years. The most memorial are the world cup on snow events in St. Moritz and the high goal tournaments in St. Tropez.

What does The Monte Carlo Polo Team captain’s daily routine look like?

As a personal lifestyle, I do a general training about 6 days a week. I follow sports and healthy diet as well. The training consists of about 90 mins of gym, 30 mins of abs and 30 mins of cardio, boxing or tuning. When I have a polo tournament to play, I train with the horses at least 5 days a week for a month before the tournament begins.

I believe the discipline, persistence and sacrifice you commit to sports are ideal as a training school for work, studies and whatever goal you give yourself to accomplish.

Tell us in detail: how do you prepare for matches? Are there any special rituals or preparation routines you follow?

As I mentioned before, the preparation for a tournament match in my habits begins with some light gym training and boxing. It helps me keep focused and in shape to confront the game. I also ask the teammates to attend the polo field about an hour before the game. Team concentration is fundamental before any game. It’s good to warm up at least 20 minutes before the game, so that when the referee blows the whistle, we are more than prepared to play and concentrate on every moment of the game.

Can you reveal your plans for us: what are your biggest ambitions for polo?

My inspiration and motivation with polo now are quite different from what they use to be.

The goals before were to create a competitive and winning team to represent Monaco’s flag with pride. My biggest ambitions now are to work on international events and polo circuits, with competitive teams and good surrounding (atmosphere) for people to enjoy and be part of this sport as much as possible. Starting from a first polo event on Monaco grounds.

What advice would you give to beginners who want to start playing polo?

My advice is to begin horse riding with healthy and easy horses. It’s fundamental to feel as safe and comfortable as possible when you ride to play polo. The ball control and the game are the second step to improve. Polo is a very expensive sport, but there are also options to play in a more economical way, by renting horses and playing easier and fewer tournaments as a beginner.

In addition to good physical form, different sports usually require different personal qualities. What qualities should a good polo player have?

I think a good polo player should have a very good physical condition in general, possibly it’s important to intensify the agility, physical strength and a good stamina — to maintain focused as much as possible during the game.