 "Exclusive | Polo in India: A royal heritage meets modern ambitions")
Polo, often dubbed the “Sport of Kings,” holds a special place in India’s cultural and sporting history. With its origins rooted in ancient India, the game has traversed centuries, evolving from a pastime of royals to an international sport.
But where does polo stand in modern India? Amidst rising costs, global competition, and shifting perceptions, the sport faces challenges as well as offers opportunities.
The final of the 12-goal Sir Pratap Singh Polo Cup, held at the Jaipur Polo Ground in New Delhi on November 17, 2024, offered a glimpse into the state of Indian polo today. Against the backdrop of this 103-year-old tournament, Firstpost spoke to players and umpires who reflected on the sport’s growth, accessibility, and future in India.
The origins of polo in India
The history of polo in India is as illustrious as the game itself. It is believed to have originated in the northeastern state of Manipur, where it was known as sagol kangjei. Played on Manipuri ponies, this version of polo had fewer rules but encapsulated the same spirit of competition and camaraderie.
“It is from here [India] polo was taken to all parts of the world including England and Argentina,” Akshai Malik, a player for the Delta Polo team, told Firstpost.
In the 19th century, British officers stationed in India were captivated by the sport. They formalised its rules and introduced it to their homeland, eventually spreading it worldwide. The Calcutta Polo Club, founded in 1862, is the oldest surviving polo club in the world, a testament to India’s pivotal role in the sport’s history.
“We have had a very glorious history of polo where the top players in the world were from India, but this is many decades back,” added Malik.
Modern polo in India: Growth amid challenges
“Polo was started by India; we gave birth to it,” Hurr Ali, a prominent Indian polo player with a handicap of +2, told Firstpost. “Today, polo is coming up again. So many horses are coming in, and it is becoming competitive day by day. A lot of youngsters are entering the sport, so we’re looking at a great future for polo.”
Ali’s optimism is echoed by Sawai Padmanabh Singh, a +3 handicap player and scion of Jaipur’s royal family. “The level of polo that I’ve witnessed in the last 10 years has exponentially grown," he told Firstpost. “There are more horses, more players, more patrons, and more sponsors than ever before. While the growth is steady, it’s unmistakable.”
Indeed, modern polo in India has seen a resurgence, with more tournaments, better infrastructure, and an influx of international players. Argentina, a global powerhouse in polo, has played a significant role in this revival.
Speaking to Firstpost, Santiago Cruz Marambio, an Argentine player with a +6 handicap, highlighted this collaboration. “India is investing in horses from Argentina, which is where the best horses in the world are bred,” he explained. “The partnership between the two countries is crucial. The quality of polo in India is growing because of better horses and better organisation.”
Firstpost also learnt that apart from the traditional polo seasons held in Jaipur, Jodhpur, Delhi and Mumbai, new polo centres have propped up in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Chandigarh.
Polo: A game for the elite?
One of the biggest criticisms polo faces is its association with the elite. The costs involved in maintaining a polo team — horses, stables, training, and equipment — are astronomical.
Young players like 17-year-old Vishwarupe Bajaj from Mumbai also acknowledge these financial barriers. “The biggest difficulty is buying your own horses to play at a competitive level,” Bajaj, who has been horse-riding since the age of eight, told Firstpost.
“But the more popular polo gets, the cheaper it will become. With more breeding programs and players, the level of polo will increase.”
Top polo players largely purchase their own horses, especially to compete at world-class tournaments all over the globe. One source told Firstpost that the cost of the horses at the top-level of polo along with their upkeep adds to crores.
However, many involved in the sport are working to challenge the notion that polo is exclusively for the elite. Singh shared a poignant anecdote to illustrate the different ways people can engage with polo:
“There’s a football team in Italy whose fans… when asked if they play football, they said, ‘No, we just support.’ Polo is similar — it’s for everyone in different capacities. You can be a spectator, a player, a groom, or a sponsor. Even if I wasn’t a player, I’d still be a fan because of the sheer visual power of eight horses running at 30 miles an hour on a large field.”
“Firstly viewership of polo is open to all, anyone can come and watch. You don’t need to buy a ticket to come watch polo,” clarified Malik, who is also a lawyer practising in the Supreme Court.
“It’s definitely not just for the elite. Polo is a very welcoming platform. It is a misconception but it obviously attracts the elite. Because you can take polo as far as you want to take it,” Ben Turner, a UK-based umpire told Firstpost.
More coverage = More viewership = More growth
The lack of widespread media coverage has hindered polo’s growth in India. Unlike cricket or football, polo rarely makes headlines, limiting its exposure to a broader audience.
“The media needs to be more generous with us,” Singh stressed. “For years, I’ve been pushing for polo to be streamed online or on TV. Once it’s available in millions of homes, it will change the fortunes of this sport in India.”
Singh, who was also awarded the ‘most valuable player’ award at the Sunday final, hinted to Firstpost about a possible announcement round the corner of a tie-up between polo and certain sport telecast channels in the Indian subcontinent.
Firstpost reached out to New Delhi-based media outlet La Polo which is the only team that covers polo in India throughout the year. “Every sport requires media coverage to reach a large audience, but polo has not received its fair share despite being one of the oldest sports in history,” Maninder S Sethi, editor-in-chief of La Polo told Firstpost.
“In recent times, it [polo] is often reduced to page 3 coverage, which focuses more on lifestyle than the substance of the sport itself,” added Sethi.
Another avenue for growth is through grassroots initiatives. Encouraging young players to take up the sport, even at a recreational level, could create a larger base of participants and fans. “While buying your own horses is necessary at a competitive level, renting or sharing horses can make the sport more accessible for beginners," said Bajaj.
Events like the Sir Pratap Singh Polo Cup showcase how engaging polo can be for spectators. The sight of skilled riders maneuvering their horses with precision and speed is a spectacle unlike any other. As Singh pointed out, “Polo makes your heart beat faster just watching it.”
Understanding polo
For newcomers, polo can seem like a complex sport. Here’s a brief overview to demystify it:
- Teams and Players: Each team consists of four players. Their positions — numbered from 1 to 4 — determine their role on the field, from offence to defence.
- The field: Polo is played on a massive grass field, 300 yards long and 160 yards wide. Goals are scored by hitting a small white ball into the opposing team’s goal using a mallet.
- Handicap system: Players are rated on a handicap scale from -2 (beginner) to +10 (world-class). A team’s total handicap determines the level of tournaments they can enter.
- Chukkas: Matches consist of four to six periods called chukkas (or chukkers), each lasting seven minutes.
- Polo horses: Players may use several horses often called ponies in a single game, switching between chukkas to ensure they remain fresh.
- Line of the ball: A key rule governs the right of way, ensuring safety. The “line of the ball” refers to the path the ball travels, and players must adhere to it when attempting to hit the ball.
India vs. Global powerhouses
Argentina is universally recognised as the pinnacle of polo, with its players and horses setting the gold standard. England and the US also boast competitive polo seasons. How does India compare?
“Obviously you can’t really compare anywhere to the top level of Argentina, because that’s the Formula One of Polo,” said Turner. “But at other levels, India is doing well. Today’s match was very competitive for its level,” he told Firstpost, referring to the Sunday final.
Henry Fisher, another professional umpire from the UK who officiated the Delhi fall polo season, echoed this sentiment, telling Firstpost: “It’s going well. I mean, today’s match was good. Most levels seem to be quite busy and have a good amount of teams, some not as much as others. But there’s lots of polo around different parts of India. So hopefully it will keep growing.”
Marambio agreed. “The quality of polo in India is improving because of investments in fields, horses, and organisation. They’re on the right path to get much better.”
The heart of polo: The horses
In polo, horses are more than mere participants — they are the game’s lifeblood. Their speed, agility, and temperament can make or break a match.
“It’s all about the horses,” Ali pointed out. “Horses are everything — it’s 20 per cent about the player and 80 per cent about the horse. Without them, there’s no game.”
India has increasingly turned to Argentina for its polo ponies, a trend Marambio sees as vital. “The best horses in the world come from Argentina,” he noted. “India’s investment in these horses is raising the standard of its polo.”
Reflecting on progress in Indian polo vis-à-vis horses, Malik said, “Growth is evident from the number of horses being imported every year. The number increases year on year.”
“Once you fall in love with the horses, you fall in love with polo,” opined Bajaj.
What does the future hold for polo in India?
As polo in India gains momentum, there’s cautious optimism about its future. The rise of young players like Bajaj and the continued involvement of international players and umpires are signs of progress.
“There are lots of new players, sponsors, and patrons entering the sport,” Singh observed. “With more media coverage and public support, polo can reclaim its place as a premier sport in India.”
Polo in India stands at an exciting juncture. As a sport deeply embedded in its history, it has the potential to become a modern-day success story. With investments in infrastructure, horses, and media outreach, and with the passion of its players and organisers, the “Sport of Kings” may soon belong to a much wider audience.
From the ancient polo fields of Manipur to the sprawling Jaipur Polo Ground, the journey of Indian polo is far from over — it’s just beginning.
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