Polo

Polo
Players playing polo
Highest governing bodyFederation of International Polo
NicknamesThe Sport of Kings[1][2]
OriginGreater Iran
Clubs90+
Characteristics
ContactYes
Team members
  • Field polo: 4
  • Arena: 3
Mixed-sexYes
TypeEquestrian, ball game, team sport
EquipmentPolo pony, mallet, ball, protective wear
VenuePolo field or arena
Presence
Country or regionWorldwide
OlympicFormerly (1900, 1908, 1920–1924 and 1936)

Polo is a stick and ball game that is played on horseback as a traditional field sport. It is one of the world's oldest known team sports,[7] having been adopted in the Western world from the game of Chovgan (Persian: چوگان), which originated in ancient Iran, dating back over 2,000 years.

Polo has been called "The Sport of Kings"[8] and has become a spectator sport for equestrians and high society, often supported by sponsorship. The progenitor of polo and its variants existed from the 6th century BC to the 1st century AD, as an equestrian game played in Persia.[9][10][4] From Iran,[11][12] where the sport evolved and developed, the game became popular around the world,[5] with well over 100 member countries in the Federation of International Polo, and is played professionally in 16 countries; it was also an Olympic sport from 1900 to 1936.

Arena polo is an indoor or semi-outdoor variant with similar rules, and is played with three riders per team. The playing field is smaller, enclosed and usually of compacted sand or fine aggregate. Arena polo has more maneuvering due to space limitations, and uses an air-inflated ball slightly larger than the hard solid ball used in field polo. Standard mallets are used, though slightly larger-head arena mallets are an option.

Mastery in horseriding is a must to play this game. There are also risks of injuries mainly from falling from the horse; therefore, one should be physically active and strong.

  1. ^ "Preview: The Sport of Kings", CBS News Archived 10 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine, 5 April 2012
  2. ^ "Polo: the sport of kings that anyone can play" Archived 18 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine, The Telegraph, 29 April 2010
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Laffaye was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference hong 2005 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b Richard C. Latham (20 July 1998). "Sport: Polo". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference poloODLA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "THE HISTORY OF POLO". argentinapolo.com. Archived from the original on 18 December 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  8. ^ Heitner, Darren. "The Economics of Polo, The Sport of Kings". Forbes. Archived from the original on 9 August 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  9. ^ Massé, H. (24 April 2012). "Čawgān". In Bearman, P.; Bianquis, Th.; Bosworth, C.E.; van Donzel, E.; Heinrichs, W.P. (eds.). Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Vol. 2. Brill Online. The game originated in Persia, and was generally played on horseback (...)
  10. ^ "The origins and history of Polo". Historic UK. Retrieved 4 October 2020. It is since these origins in Persia that the game has often been associated with the rich and noble of society; the game was played by Kings, Princes and Queens in Persia.
  11. ^ Chovgan added as Iran’s intangible cultural heritage to UNESCO lists چوگان به عنوان میراث فرهنگی ناملموس ایران در فهرست یونسکو ثبت شد
  12. ^ Decision of the Intergovernmental Committee: 12.COM 11.B.14 تصمیم کمیته بین دولتی
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