New York City's Bid To Host 2012 Olympics Has a New Champion -- The U.S. Polo Association PR Newswire -- July 30, 2002 Will a Million Air Travelers Be Stomping Divots at JFK? Guess What Other Sport Was Played At 'The Polo Grounds?' NEW YORK, NY, July 30 /PRNewswire/ -- New York City's bid for the 2012 Olympics is getting an airlift from one of the city's oldest sports, which is itself bidding to compete in the Olympics that year. It's the sport of kings (and Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx) -- POLO. The United States Polo Association is hosting the kickoff reception Wednesday of a most unusual exhibition, which gallops through Sept. 30 at the International Terminal at JFK Airport. It features 25 life-sized statues depicting heroic world figures as polo players, including a New York City Fire Fighter. Artists from around the world painted the statues in astonishing polo motifs. More than 100 officials, sponsors and celebrities from the world of polo will attend the reception 3-5 p.m. Wednesday at JFK's Terminal 4, co-sponsored by Jordache, the official trademark holder of the U.S. Polo Association apparel, accessories and home furnishings in North America. "A million international air travelers are in for a stunning spectacle when these magnificent statues greet them at the terminal entrance," said Jordache's Cliff Lelonek, President of the U.S. Polo Association Division. Titled "Colorful World of Polo," the exhibition promotes the sport, its return to the Olympic Games and New York as the host city in 2012. "Our goal is to gain support for polo's bid to participate in the 2012 Olympics and for New York to be the host city," said Lelonek. "We want a million international travelers to go back home with a single idea -- Polo in New York in 2012." Polo and the city go back a long way together, he said. In the 1870's, polo was played on a site just north of Central Park bounded by 5th & 6th Avenues, 110th & 112th Streets. The site became known as "The Polo Grounds," the name given to the legendary stadium where the New York Giants once played unforgettable baseball. Proceeds from sales of the statues will help to support the USA Polo team to the 2004 World Championships. Founded in 1890, The U.S. Polo Association is the governing body of the sport in the United States. Jordache, an international manufacturer of apparel for men, women and children, holds the master license of the U.S. Polo Association in North America. Contact: Mark Hopkinson President of The TransMedia Group (561) 750-9800, ext. 15 MHopkinson@transmediagroup.com