Exclusive | 'Thank God, the PBG is back!': The President’s Bodyguard and its storied legacy of polo

In the heart of national capital, nestled within the historic precincts of the President’s Estate, lies the cradle of Indian polo — the President’s Bodyguard (PBG) Parade Ground.

On 14 December, 2024, this storied venue hosted the iconic President’s Polo Cup, attended by none other than the President Droupadi Murmu.

The annual polo exhibition match gave Firstpost an opportunity to firsthand witness India’s equestrian heritage, the legacy of the PBG and their unparalleled contribution to Indian polo.

In our first feature , we explored the basics of polo and its growth potential in India, following which our second feature focused on the role of the 61st Cavalry in sustaining the sport’s legacy.

Now we delve deeper into the sport and it’s historic connection with the senior-most regiment of the Indian Army.

The President’s Polo Cup

Established in 1975, the President’s Polo Cup quickly became one of the most prestigious tournaments in the country. Open to teams with a minimum handicap of 10 goals, it showcased the finest polo talent in India.

The inaugural event, held in February 1975, was attended by then-President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed and Begum Abida Ahmed. For three decades, this tournament flourished under the stewardship of the PBG, becoming a hallmark of excellence in Indian polo.

However, in 2004, the Indian Polo Association (IPA) transitioned from the President’s Bodyguard to the 61st Cavalry, and the Cup saw an untimely hiatus in 2005.

Reviving this cherished tradition, the PBG organised the first President’s Polo Cup Exhibition Match in 2013. This annual event has since become a cornerstone of the ‘Delhi Fall Polo Season’, offering a spectacle of equestrian skill and competitive spirit while reinforcing the PBG’s historic ties to the sport.

Jai Shergill, a member of the IPA and a national selector for the Indian polo team, echoed this sentiment, telling Firstpost, “The PBG has always been part of polo. The PBG team has been so strong over time. And there’s no question, that the PBG are still very much part of polo.”

Reviving a sporting tradition

The PBG’s Parade Ground has long been a breeding ground for Indian polo talent. As Simran Singh Shergill, a +3 handicap player and 2019 Arjuna awardee, reminisced, “I’m very happy and very proud to play this game. I feel a lot of respect and a lot of attraction towards the bodyguard [PBG] because I’m a product of the bodyguard as my father commanded this prestigious regiment."

“For the years that my father was here, I was lucky enough to get a taste of the sport and later on play polo more and become a professional polo player. This place where we’re standing is in the heart of the city,” Simran told Firstpost.

Firstpost learnt that apart from Simran, many other renowned polo players like Colonel Billy Sodhi, Brigadier VP Singh, Naveen Jindal, Uday Kalaan, Angad Kalaan, Samir Suhag and others began their journeys here.

In recent years, under the leadership of Colonel Amit Berwal, the commandant of the regiment, PBG has reinvigorated its commitment to polo. Berwal, a polo player himself with a -1 handicap, highlighted the regiment’s multifaceted role:

“The present bodyguard is a professional regiment. We are paratroopers, tankmen, and horsemen. Our primary duties during peace are with the Rashtrapati Bhavan. And presently, we are reviving our equestrian and polo prowess. I’m sure in times to come, you will see PBG polo rise up again.”

Highlighting the support the PBG received this year, Berwal told Firstpost, “The Bodyguard Equestrian team has already done well. So it’s a win-win for the PBG this year. The honourable president has a very special place in her heart for equestrian sports and horses of the PBG. So we are very thankful to her and to the present team in Rashtrapati Bhavan.”

PBG’s polo outreach

Beyond nurturing its own talent, the PBG has extended its expertise to underserved regions like Ladakh. In 2023, as part of its 250th-year celebrations, the PBG initiated foundational polo training for girls from Ladakh under the backing of Brigadier BD Mishra (retd), the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh.

This outreach continued in 2024, with 11 girls from Kargil undergoing training under the watchful eye of PBG instructors. On 30 November 2024, the team also witnessed polo matches and was felicitated by the officials of the IPA at the Jaipur Polo Ground in New Delhi.

Firstpost spoke to two students — Rehana Akhtar and Shayna Akhtar — from the cohort. Their journey spoke to the programme’s transformative power and its effort to introduce polo to young girls.

“We did not know anything about polo,” said Rehana. “In our home, polo was something we had only seen the boys play. When we heard about a training opportunity in Dras, we went just to see the horses for the first time. From there, we were selected to come to Delhi and train with the President’s Bodyguard.”

Historically, nearly every village in Ladakh maintained its own polo ground, and the sport continues to thrive in many regions beyond Leh, particularly in Dras and Chushot. The latter hosts an annual Ladakh Polo Festival as well.

In Leh, polo has been partly institutionalised, with regular tournaments and exhibition matches taking place on the Polo Ground, set against the majestic backdrop of the Leh Palace.

These matches, often featuring civilian teams competing against the Army, bring a vibrancy and excitement to Ladakh’s summers, drawing an enthusiastic local crowd.

For Shayna, the experience was equally inspiring as she told Firstpost, “When we arrived at the President’s Bodyguard camp, it was overwhelming to see the magnificent horses. We had only seen small horses back home, but these were so much bigger and stronger. The training instructors guided us step by step, showing us how to mount and handle the horses. It was all new to us, but we learned so much, and it gave us confidence.”

Polo in Ladakh is played on much smaller horses compared to the powerful and larger horses used in competitive polo internationally.

What makes their journey even more remarkable is the significance of representation. “We are proud to be the first Muslim girls from Ladakh to learn and play polo,” the duo added. The PBG told Firstpost that Rehana Akhtar won ‘Best Student’, while Stanzin Nyidon bagged the award for ‘Most Promising Student’ of the outreach programme.

As Berwal noted, such efforts are vital for the sport’s growth and inclusivity, aligning with the PBG’s legacy as the torchbearer of Indian polo.

A nostalgic homecoming & a positive outlook ahead

The President’s Polo Cup is more than a tournament; it’s a testament to the enduring spirit of polo in India. Players like Jaisal Singh, who learned the sport at the PBG Parade Ground, regard it as a “breeding ground of modern Indian polo.”

“So the president’s bodyguard holds a very special place in my heart. I learned how to ride horses here on this very ground. I learned how to play polo here. And the former commandant of the president’s bodyguard was my first coach for polo,” Singh, who leads the SUJÁN Indian Tigers Polo team, told Firstpost.

For veterans like Samir Suhag, a +2 handicap player and 2012 Arjuna awardee, the PBG is synonymous with Indian polo’s golden era: “There was a time when complete polo was run here.”

“I remember in the 1980-90s, we all grew up here. We played cycle polo, horse polo, jumping, and dressage. I mean, everything was here. So there’s a lot of memories with this place and there are some fabulous times we had,” reminisced Suhag.

Highlighting this aspect of the PBG, Suhag told Firstpost, “This is what kept polo going for almost 25 odd years. And we couldn’t have had polo in India if they [PBG] weren’t there. They kept the game alive.”

“I hope as time goes on, polo is revived more, both in the Indian Army and at the PBG,” Simran added. The 2024 President’s Polo Cup was more than a celebration of sport; it was a reaffirmation of the PBG’s role in Indian polo’s past, present, and future.

As Jai Shergill aptly put it: “Thank God, PBG is back. We wish them all the luck in the future.”

Firstpost has previously delved into India’s rich polo heritage, exploring the sport’s challenges:

In another feature, Firstpost also brought out the Indian Army’s role in sustaining polo:

This feature adds another layer to the narrative, celebrating the PBG’s indelible mark on polo and its commitment to preserving this legacy for generations to come. Modern polo having birthed in the subcontinent, is considered India’s ‘gift to the world’.

(The author attended The President’s Polo Cup, held at the President’s Bodyguard Parade Ground at the Ridge Forest in New Delhi on December 14, 2024.)