Thaindian News

By Arun Kumar
Washington, June 12 (IANS) Salahis, the infamous White House gatecrashers brazenly hosted what they called “America’s Polo Cup” featuring a match between the US and India on the National Mall without official participation from either side.

Tareq and Michaele Salahi, who sauntered uninvited into the White House to crash into President Barack Obama’s first state dinner for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, are still under federal investigation for their November misadventure.

Last year’s event advertised as “best sporting experience . . . in the United States and considered the best in the world by the highest standards of polo” is also under investigation in Virginia and the Indian Embassy unceremoniously snapped its ties with the couple after the dinner fiasco.

The event’s website listed its key sponsor as India’s Kingfisher Beer, but the Washington Post cited the chief executive of the company as saying it was not a sponsor.

“We are not sponsoring this event and have informed the people managing this event of that,” Yashpal Singh, president and chief executive of Mendocino Brewing Company, the parent company of Kingfisher said.

But the Salahis persisted in using Kingfisher’s name and logo in advertising.

“We have sent legal notices to this effect, and he keeps on advertising us as a sponsor. I don’t know what world he’s living in,” Singh was quoted as saying.

“But on Saturday, the sun shone, the ponies ran, and the wine and beer flowed-for a crowd of perhaps 250. The event’s advertising put admission at $95 per person,” the Post reported.

The event, held in West Potomac Park, featured food from vendors including Tandoori Nights and Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen.

There was a silent auction offering dozens of signed photographs, sports jerseys, and musical instruments from entertainers and musicians - a guitar listed as being autographed by Paul McCartney had a minimum bid of $1,050.

“But three hours after the gates opened, it appeared that no bids had been placed on any of the items,” the Post said.

Sponsors such as Land Rover and Cartier flocked to the first event.

But as news of the couple’s troubles with vendors and dozens of lawsuits began accumulating across the region, sponsors became wary. Kingfisher too dropped out then.

Bill Line, a spokesman for the National Park Service, was cited as saying the Salahis had been granted a permit to host the event on the mall two weeks ago, after “many, many meetings and conversations”.

Like nearly all of the thousands of people who hold events on the mall each year, the couple was required to post an insurance bond — $3 million in this case.

“They have been informed that if there is damage to that field, we are going to be tapping that bond,” Line said.