Polo is a ball game played on horseback, and is one of the worlds oldest known team sports. The game is played by two opposing teams with the objective of scoring using a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small hard ball through the opposing team's goal. Each team has four mounted riders, and the game usually lasts one to two hours, divided into periods called chukkas or "chukkers". Polo has been called "the sport of kings", and has become a spectator sport for equestrians and high society, often supported by sponsorship.
Here are some key facts about polo:
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Equipment: Players use a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small hard ball. They ride specially trained horses called polo ponies, and wear protective gear such as helmets and knee pads.
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Rules: The object of the game is for a team to score more points (known as goals) than its opposition, thus winning the game. Each team attempts to move the ball into the opposition's half of the pitch with the aim of eventually hitting it through the goal to score. Each team of four is made up of attackers and defenders, but realistically all members of a polo team are expected to be flexible and make any play whether offensive or defensive and change position as necessary to benefit the team.
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Field: The field is 300 yards long and 160 yards wide, which is roughly ten football fields. The teams then change direction after each goal to compensate for field and wind conditions. The match lasts about one and a half to two hours long and is divided into timed periods called chukkers – each chukkar is 7 ½ minutes long. Matches are either four or six chukkars divided by half time.
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History: Polo is the oldest ball sport in the world, dating back to 600 BC. It was first played in Persia (Iran) and was at first a training game for cavalry units, usually the king’s guard or other elite troops. In time, polo became a Persian national sport played extensively by the nobility. Women as well as men played the game.
