Chinkara Polo Cup (5-6 Goal Tournament)

Taking place during the second week of September, four Indian polo teams were ready to clash their mallets, honouring ‘the line of ball’ and going all-out in the process to acclaim the prestigious title in the first tournament of the Jaipur Polo Season. The battles escalated with high scores and anticipated survivors. Here is an overview of this tournament:

Participating Teams 

Match 1: RPC vs 61 Cav-V Polo

Date: 11 September 

Curtains rose with the first game between both Pool A teams, RPC and 61 Cav-V Polo. This was quite an intense game and enjoyable, too, if you were a fan of RPC Polo. They defeated the team of 61 Cavalry, and despite their best efforts to bounce back into the game, all their hopes fell down when the opposing team developed such a high lead. 

Winners: RPC ( 9-5 )

Match 2: Jaipur vs Mayfair Polo 

Date: 12 September 

The second game was more balanced, as Jaipur took on Mayfair Polo, with both teams being equal in handicaps. This game was a goal fest, as both teams pulled off their aggressive playstyle and scored multiple goals even on the slightest chance. Mayfair Polo fell a little short on defence, which cost them the game.

Winners: Jaipur ( 11-8 )

Semi-Final 1: Mayfair Polo vs RPC 

Date: 13 September 

It was finally time for Mayfair Polo and RPC to battle and present us with the first finalist of the tournament. RPC started off with a goal advantage; however, it was soon overcome by Mayfair Polo as they capitalised on minute chunks in the armour and scored consecutive goals to stay ahead in the game and become the first finalists of the event. 

Winners: Mayfair Polo ( 7-4.5 )

Semi-Final 2: Jaipur vs 61 Cav-V Polo

The second semi-final was played between Jaipur and 61 Cav-V Polo. Both teams played quite defensively, but the gap in experience was quite evident, as Jaipur looked quite comfortable defending their goals and taking control of the ball. This enabled Jaipur to quickly overcome the handicap advantage given to 61 Cavalry at the start and win the game convincingly. 

Winners: Jaipur ( 5-2.5 )

Final: Jaipur vs Mayfair Polo

Date: 15 September 

After a maintenance day, the players and spectators looked fresh and ready to fight and win the coveted title of the Chinkara Polo Cup. Mayfair Polo was looking to redeem itself after losing the second game to Jaipur in the qualifier rounds, but Jaipur was not ready to yield so easily. On the contrary, they were ready for every tactic and stood like a wall before their goals. Additionally, they penetrated the enemy’s defences quite easily and scored more than twice the goals of Mayfair Polo.

Winners: Jaipur ( 7-3 )