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Cricket may be a gentleman's game but polo is the sport of royalty. TWF's correspondent, Supriyo Hazra, reports on the game and its status in India, on the occasion of the Calcutta Polo Club completing 150 years, later in the month.
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The game can undoubtedly be considered one of the oldest team games the world has ever witnessed; the swing of mallets and the sound of galloping horses make the sport an electrifying one.
The city of Kolkata can now savour the taste of some high-speed action, as the city hosts the Ezra World Cup 2011, as a part of events organized to celebrate the prestigious Calcutta Polo Club.
The former Indian capital shares a deep connection to the majestic game... one that goes back to the days of the British Raj.
In 1858, two British soldiers, Captain Robert Stewart and Major General Joe Sherer, discovered a similar game in east Indian state and region of Manipur and Silchar, respectively. It was played by local tribesmen and called Sagol Kangjei. They carried the game, eventually, to their friends and it led to the establishment of the Silchar Polo Club in 1859.
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The Calcutta Polo Club, formed a few years later, has contributed in several ways to the development of the game, including the framing of the first rule book for the modern version of the game.
The Ezra World Cup will see teams from the U.S., Italy, Brazil and Indonesia sweating it out under the pleasant winter sun for the trophy; there will also be two Indian teams in the fray. Experts hope that this is the right time to attract more viewers to the sport and promote it, in the City of Joy.
"Definitely the tournament would promote the game in Kolkata and play a crucial role in making the game more popular in the city," said Vijai Singh, a polo player and patron who is also Director, Blacker and Co. Private Limited.
Incidentally, the pages of history mention that even before the arrival of the British, the game was actually also played by the Mughal emperors. In fact, it was even considered the country's national sport. Some reports suggest the game originated in this time. Mughal rulers used to play the sport regularly and emperors like Babar were instrumental in establishing its popularity, as was his son, Akbar. Once the Mughals started declining, the sport was successfully revived by the British.
The annals of history also record the game being played by ancient Persians, 2,500 years ago. It was known as Chaughan. In time, it must have spread outside the borders of central Asia and reached countries like India, Japan, China and Tibet. The game then surged towards the process of modernization in India and later grew to become popular in other corners of the world. Today, polo is played in several countries of the world including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Pakistan, the UK and the United States.
Argentina has dominated the world game in recent years, with stalwarts like Adolfo Cambiaso. Meanwhile, India has had its fair share of talented players - Rao Raja Hanut Singh of Jodhpur and Sawai Man Singh of Jaipur. However, the game has lost most of its charm and popularity, due to a financial crunch and infrastructure-related troubles.
The Indian army and the many royal families in the country continue playing the game. As a popular sport, though, it has failed to compete with the likes of tennis and cricket. Vijai Singh, who is intimately associated with the game, says polo has suffered due to lack of financial support.
The President of the Calcutta Polo Club, Keshaav Bangur, feels events like the Ezra World Cup 2011 could draw more patrons towards the game and thus provide a fresh impetus to the sport.
"Today polo requires committed patrons, more than anything else to create the infrastructure which will encourage the younger generations to play polo," says Bangur, adding, "I hope by successfully hosting the Ezra World Cup 2011 we will be able to draw more patrons towards this sport."
"Our vision is to keep the heritage of Calcutta Polo Club alive and encourage youngsters and Polo enthusiasts to take up the sport by making it more accessible. I would like to thank the Indian Polo Association and the Indian Army for the support," he concludes.
Despite all the gloom, Singh does have one ray of hope to offer... apparently many young riders are taking an interest in the game and its popularity has increased across the country.
"(A) number of boys are learning riding and this is really exciting. The future of the game is bright. The popularity is increasing with time in all the corners of India," Singh said.
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