Beyond Cricket and commonwealth Polo is a binder

How much do you know about Polo? We are sure you know that it is a team game where players riding horses, chase a hard white ball to the opponent’s goal. But do you know how and where this game originated from and that India and Australia are forging further bonds through Polo?

Source: Glowimages RF/ Getty Images

We talked to Lieutenant General Arun Sahni who is a keen Polo player and with Indranil Haldar who proactively advocates strong bilateral engagement between two Polo playing nations India and Australia. Mr. Arun told SBS "I was a young man in the army when I started playing polo.  I played being a soldier and a sportsman so I balanced it between my career. I did get a chance to go with the Indian team to Dubai and to Jordan."

The Ride Off Source: iStockphoto/ Getty Images

Where was Polo born?

There are so many theories and beliefs around the birth of Polo. Many say that it originated in Manipur from a similar game called Bushkhashi. Some people link Polo with Pakistan while others trace it back to Ladakh. However, according to the International Polo Association, Modern Polo originated in Manipur.

 Know the game

The British saw this game in India and found it to be most interesting and went on to give the game it’s current international form. In India Polo has always been associated with the Royal families. In the Polo World Cup held last year, members of the Jaipur Royal family played for the Indian Polo team. The modern Polo is played in 6 or 7 segments, where each segment is of seven and held minutes. This is significant as these particular horses are at their best potential for approximately 7-8 minutes