Polo is lately gaining in popularity even among the common people after years of being relegated to the backyard. With India being recognised as the progenitor of modern-age Polo, it is time that the game gets its due attention says Fatima Chowdhury.

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What is it about Polo that holds such fascination? Is it because it’s the oldest and fastest organised team sports in the world? The moment you take your seat on the stand and look across the daunting Polo field there is nothing else that captures your imagination. You cannot help but look on spellbound as the riders gallop on their mounts at a thrilling speed across the turf, and then your heart almost skips a beat as the horses shove each other and the players snap their wooden mallets fiercely to get the white ball across the goal post. At the end, you are captivated by the whole experience, where skill and speed are matched with artistry and expert horsemanship as history is relived through that moment in time.

Though the true origins of the game remains debated by scholars, it is believed to have emerged in the harsh encampments of competing nomadic warriors in Central Asia more than 2,500 years ago. The popularity of Polo in Persian society has been well documented through the canvasses of painters and the literary works of scholars. Patronised by some of the greatest warriors in history like Alexander, the Great, and Genghis Khan, Polo was also adopted as an effective tool for military training for cavalries. So it was no surprise that the game spread rapidly throughout the Asian continent from Japan to as far away as the Byzantine Empire.

In India, Polo was introduced by the Persians where under the patronages of Qutb-ud-din Aybak and Babur, the game flourished and was even played by the Rajput kings whose descendents continued to be valuable patrons of the sport over the years. The end of 16th century saw the demise of the Mughal Empire and the once majestic game of Polo became a pale copy of its glorious past, only to be preserved in the remote village areas. However, in 1858 Polo was rediscovered by two British soldiers, Captain Robert Stewart and Major General Joe Sherer, who stumbled upon a similar game called “Sagol Kangjei” being played among local tribesman of Manipur in neighbouring Silchar. Both officers were so taken with Polo that they introduced the sport to their peers and went on to establish the Silchar Polo Club in 1859 and thereafter the Calcutta Polo Club in 1862, which remains the oldest active Polo club in the world. Over the years the game of Polo spread to the rest of the British Empire and across the globe. Today, it is played in several countries including Argentina, which dominates the sport, producing some of the best players, most notably Adolfo Cambiaso.

However, it is hard to ignore the fact that the birthplace of modern Polo remains largely understated in the international arena. This is not to say that the Polo scene in India has been dormant, simply its fate has wavered with the dictates of time. Prior to the Second World War renowned polo players like Rao Raja Hanut Singh of Jodhpur and Sawai Man Singh of Jaipur were counted amongst the best players in the world. However, the popularity of the sport began to decline with depleting funds and poor infrastructure. The future of Polo in India looked far from bright despite the support of the Indian army and members of former Indian royal families who kept the legacy of the game from withering away to the pages of the past.

By the 1990s, Polo got a new lease of life with the growing interest from the corporate sector eager to market their brands to a niche crowd by sponsoring polo tournaments. The sponsorships put in much-needed financial resources into the game, reviving the excitement by making it a “must attend” event on the social calendar which was further helped by the media shutterbugs eager to capture the glamour, glitz and the aura of royalty attracted to the polo grounds. As veteran Polo player Pradip Rao puts it: “The increase of corporate sponsorship in Polo has had a positive impact. Today the game is more competitive and open with a growing number of civilian teams. So, the support for the game is no longer restricted to the army and royals. However, like everything else, corporate sponsorship too has it limitations. As Rao elaborates, “The corporatisation of Polo in India has helped to increase its popularity as a premier spectator sport, but has done very little to raise the level of the game and increase the number of Polo players that take up the sport professionally.”

Devyani Rao, one of the two female Polo players in India, agrees that Polo has come a long way but she emphasizes, “More steps need to be taken to improve the infrastructure and bring up the level of the game by nurturing and adequately training new talented players” She points out that in Polo since both amateurs and professionals can compete together at the same level, “new players should be encouraged to play more at the Club levels to gain more experience and take the sport forward.”

She is corroborated by Angad Kalaan, one of India’s highest ranked professional Polo players and Captain of the Indian World Cup Team, 2007: “More needs to be done at club levels to train and encourage new players to compete in national and international polo circuits.” Though Angad acknowledges the importance of corporate sponsorship as being indispensable for the survival of the sport, he feels that “if there are better training programmes, young riders would be encouraged to take up Polo, which is important for the game to grow in India.” He concluded that: “The survival of the game depends on the next generation of talented players to take it to the next level and ensuring its continuity in this country.” The Haryana Polo Club which is owned by his family are trying to do their bit to promote the sport in India by providing facilities of an international standards to polo players and are considering long term plans which would include teaming up with educational institutes to offer riding and polo lessons.

The game has time and again risen from the depths of uncertainty and numerous challenges to survive with the unwavering commitment and passion of many. Today, as Polo in India stands at the crossroads of time, there is hope that things will only get better from here. The spirit of the game is best epitomised in a well-known verse inscribed on stone next to a Polo ground in Gilgit, Pakistan: "Let others play at other things. The king of games is still the game of kings.” But it is only when one stands at a Polo field mesmerised by the unfolding game ahead that one truly discovers “the game of kings.”