Manuel Andrada

Manuel Ángel Andrada Ballesteros (9 January 1890 – 21 September 1962) was an Argentine nine-goal polo player who won the gold medal in the 1936 Summer Olympics.

Early life

Manuel Andrada was born in 1890 on an estancia in Curumalal near Coronel Suárez, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. He worked as a horse trainer and later took up polo.

Polo career He was a nine-goaler. He played both matches in the tournament, the first against Mexico and the final against Great Britain. He was the oldest sportsman to receive an Olympic gold medal according to the Guinness World Records.

He was nicknamed "Paisano" (′peasant′). He has been called, "the first Argentine-born star player" by polo historian Horace Laffaye.

Personal life He had three sons: Manuel Hector, Oscar Miguel and Eduardo Diego.

Death He died in 1962 in Laguna del Sauce, Córdoba Province, Argentina.

Legacy His descendants own the Paisano Polo Club in Río Cuarto, Córdoba Province, Argentina.