Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday unveiled a 120-foot-tall statue of a polo player riding a pony at Marjing Polo Complex in Manipur’s Imphal East district. Shah was given a polo mallet and a painting of the game by Chief Minister N Biren Singh.
It would be surprising for many that Northeastern state Manipur is considered as birthplace of polo sports. The state is epicentre of the game. Manipur hosts numerous polo tournaments at international, national and state levels. With housing several polo grounds, including the world’s oldest one, Manipur is registered in the Guinness World Records. According to Guinness World Records, polo’s origins in Manipur with having history of around 3100 BC, when it was played as Sagol Kangjei.
Polo players in traditional Meitei polo uniforms plays match in Imphal Polo Ground, the world’s oldest polo ground. Each polo ground in Manipur has distinct historical significance.
Polo developed during the reign of King Kangba (1405-1359 BC), the successor of King Tangja Leela Pakhangba. The story of polo’s development in Manipur can be traced in many ancient texts, including the Kangbalon and the Kangjeirol.
What’s polo sports
Polo is a sports that is played on horseback. It is one of the world’s oldest known team sports. It is played between two teams. Each team tries to score against the opponent team using a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small hard ball through the opposing team’s goal. Each team has four mounted riders. It usually lasts one to two hours.
