The origin of the game of Polo can be traced back to the ancient times. The Indian state of Manipur is considered to be the birthplace of Polo, according to the English Guinness Book of World Records findings. Hence, Manipur is called as the "Home of Polo". The traditional Manipuri game named Sagol Kangjei is the mother of modern day Polo. After its inception, the game earned huge popularity among the Indians, especially among the Indian Emperors and Kings. The game also became a tool to promote equestrian and military skills and it acted like a test of skill of Princes and Warriors. Some of the Great warriors and foreign invaders in India, like Genghis Khan, Darius and Alexander the Great used to play Polo in India.
The Muslim Emperors in India played an important role in the rising of Polo as a popular game in India, during the medieval period. The great Mughal Emperor, Jalaluddin Babar himself was a great Polo player and patronised Polo in India, in a great way. He had set some rules for the game and also had a huge stable near Agra. Polo in India was considered as the national sport at that time. The builder of Qutub Minar, Sultan Qutub Uddin Aibak died of a fatal accident after a fall on the Polo field in Lahore.
During the British period, the famous British Captain Robert Stewart along with few British officers and tea planters brought the modern form of Polo known as "English Polo" in India. They brought the game at Silchar, Cachar, Assam in 1859 and this is considered to be an important landmark in the history of Polo in India. They learnt the game from the Manipuri military men, who were then living in Cachar along with the King, Maharaj Chandra Kirti Singh. The British rulers also set up a Polo Club at Borjalenga in Silchar, Assam, which is famous for being the oldest Polo club in the world. The modified form of Polo started in India in 1863, when after two Manipuri teams played Sagol-Kangjei at Kolkata (Calcutta).
In Polo, the players play a ball game with a stick, while riding a horse. Two teams having 4 players on 4 horses play the Polo in India. The ground of Polo in India is generally of 230 to 275 metres in length and 146 to 180 metres in width. The goal posts have a width of 7 feet each and they are placed at seven and a half meter away from each other at both the ends of the field. Side and goal lines are marked surrounding the field. The match officials place white and red coloured flags in the four corners of the field, for indication. They also place yellow and blue coloured flags at the sidelines to indicate 30 and 60 yards` free hit lines. The two centers of the sidelines are also marked with white flags.
A match of Polo in India continues for 4 to 6 rounds and each round consists of seven and half minutes. The half time break is usually taken after 2 or 3 rounds and the horses are altered in the meantime. Polo in India has two mounted umpires, who have line judges to help them. The game commences when the mounted umpire throws the ball towards the players lined up at the center. Apart from these people, there is also a match referee with a timekeeper, who controls the game from outside the field. In case of any serious controversy in the game a five-member board of juries sitting outside comes for a settlement. During the match, the Polo players hit the ball with their stick towards the opponents` goal post. If any rival player blocks the free stroke then the striking player gets the chance of a free hit towards the goal post of the defaulting player. Criss-crossing the horses, hooking or hitching up opponents sticks are considered as foul play in Polo in India and in these cases also, such free hits are permitted. The judges show a red flag signal for a goal.
However, the rules and regulations in the Manipuri version of Polo that is Sagol Kangjei, is a bit different from that of modern Polo in India. In a Manipuri Polo game, two teams of seven members in each side play with a cane stick and the ball is made of bamboo root. The players wear tight dhotis tucked above the knees and a half sleeve local made jacket. They also wear white turbans on head. The two teams can wear only red and yellow clothes. There is no fixed size of field in Manipuri Polo.
In the Manipuri Polo, the players are allowed to catch and strike the ball freely while it is in the air. Though it is a very dangerous way of playing, it is considered as a heroic shot on the player`s part. The Manipuri Polo in India actually allows all kinds of experiments and wild way of playing the game. There are more than 35 Polo clubs in Manipur only, which take part in various tournaments around the world. Inspired by the foreign women Polo players, the Manipuri ladies have also started to take part in various local Polo tournaments. Though Polo in India was earlier regarded as a royal game, the game continued to remain as popular as earlier, even after the end of Kingship in the country. However, the game is still played only by the rich and aristocrat people of the cities, due to the high costs of the horses and lofty expenditure in their maintenance.
Polo in India has been getting continuous support from the Indian Army and royal family members to continue with its heritage. The Indian Polo also started getting sponsorship from the corporate sector during the 1990s. With this, the game became more glamorised and the Indian media also get attracted to the scenario of Polo in India. The corporatisation of Polo in India has actually maximized the reputation of the game and also attracted the young players to accept it as a professional sport. India has produced many eminent and popular Polo players so far. Devyani Rao is one of the most notable ones amongst them. This female Indian Polo player has represented her country in many International events and earned lots of accolades too. The Jaipur Polo ground in Delhi along with Delhi Race club has recently become major attraction point in every winter for the high profile players and sponsors gathering there to enjoy the game.
