The world is brimming with emotions; waiting and searching for outlets to let those emotions out, to embrace them in the best possible way, or else miss out on them altogether.
And when you couple emotions with adrenaline, you create a potion that gets you hooked on forever. Sport manages to do that in the most beautiful manner possible.
While we have spent hours reading up on and discussing popular sports like Football, Tennis, Basketball and Cricket, it’s time we turn our eyes to one of the world’s most intriguing, complex and satisfying sports, Polo.
Why do people fall in love with Polo?
Horses ready to gallop at your command, an expanse of green grass beneath you, two sets of reins threaded through your left hand and a four feet mallet (used for striking the ball) ready to be swung in your right hand; Polo has all the ingredients to satiate one’s sporting lust.
Combining horsemanship, ‘ball striking ability’ and basic team coordination; Polo challenges an individual to display multiple skills simultaneously, leading to the complexity and charm of the game.
Thus, to become a polo player you need to first learn horsemanship, then train your pony according to the match scenario and then learn to ride and hit the ball at the same time. Complex? Yes. Addictive? Yes!
The intricacies of the game lure people in and thus despite the complexities (and the cost involved), people get hooked onto polo.
Now, the most striking thing about the game of Polo is that it’s not just the sportsperson who is competing, but the horse too. The pony’s athleticism, guile and strength are as much as a factor as the rider’s. And the fact that both of them have to work in tandem in order for even the simplest of passes to be accomplished is something that adds to the charm of Polo.
Players invest a lot of time in finding the perfect pony and then establishing solid partnership with it, because it is very important for the duo to have synergies between them in order to create any sort of positive impact on the Polo field.
This constant interaction between man and pony, on and off the field is something that makes the game of Polo so very special and endearing.
You’ll need to spend time with your pony; adjusting to his movements (and vice versa), acclimatising him to your style of play and making him gel with the other ponies in your squad.
We started off by talking about emotions and sport, and polo so succinctly captures all of it.
It makes you persevere at first, gives you a lot of rush whilst playing and leaves you satisfied at the end of the day. The joy of riding with your mates, hustling with them and strategically outwitting them makes polo very popular amongst those who have the patience to study and learn the game.
The SportsRush is heavily intrigued with Polo and will be covering it in great detail over the next few months, delving into the rules of the game, laying them out for you and providing you with all kinds of information required to truly appreciate the game.
Hop on, it’s going to be a great ride.
