by Al Badia
The sport of polo originated in Persia! The players were originally mounted archers and carried a bow and arrow as a weapon. Players had to wear protective clothing, including a mouth guard and padded headgear. The game was originally played with wooden balls and the goals were made of stone.
Polo, also known as “polo racing”, is a team sport played on horseback. The objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team’s goal using a long-handled mallet.
So, what is special about polo game? Polo, game played on horseback between two teams of four players each who use mallets with long, flexible handles to drive a wooden ball down a grass field and between two goal posts. It is the oldest of equestrian sports.
It’s not uncommon to see teams playing polo in an empty swimming pool or other similarly confined spaces, though outdoor fields are more common. Players can change horses during gameplay if their horse gets tired or injured, creating a more even playing field for those who might not own as many horses as another player.
The game is played on a grass field up to 300 yards long by 160 yards wide. The game begins with an umpire giving the signal for the two teams to start play with a ball at center of the field.
The game is known as the “Sport of Kings”. It was highly popular among the British officer class in colonial India and has since spread around the world, with well over 100 member countries in the Federation of International Polo.
