With a name like Duggan, it is little surprise that Luis Duggan is of Irish descent. Four Duggan brothers arrived in Argentina from County Westmeath in 1849 to become sheep farmers. They eventually became wool brokers and the firm of Duggan Brothers were to be the biggest of its kind in Argentina. Luis was the grandson of one of the four brothers and he was one of seven polo-playing siblings. He was raised on one of the family ranches and at an early age became a keen and proficient horseman and first took an interest in polo in his teens and was soon up to a 3-handicap. He eventually obtained the maximum 10-handicap in a career that lasted more than 25 years..
The highlights of his career were in winning the Olympic gold medal in 1936, when he scored eight goals in Argentina’s two matches. He was then a member of the first Argentinian side to beat the United States to win the Cup of the Americas shortly afterwards. He won the Argentine Open seven times between 1939-51 with El Trébol, Venado Tuerto and Los Pinguinos, When he won it for the final time he was aged 45 and still a 7-handicap player. Duggan’s younger brother Heriberto was also a high handicap player.
Argentina