With each year passing by, the Indian Polo fields have witnessed the Indian Polo Season grow more intense and competitive. Growing off the green fields, the Polo Season has set its mark in the Arena League too. The Indian Polo Season grooves into the next year with an added niche to it, making Polo more energetic, enjoyable and enthusiastic for not only the players but also the crowd, the support of whom has increased with each year passed. Setting its benchmark in the country, the season has managed to attract some of the Best Players from all around the world. The Indian Polo Season has managed to attract some of the Best Players from all around the globe. Helping build a relationship amongst the foreign and Indian players, the Indian Polo Season has not only helped Indian aces build a rapport with the foreign players but has also helped the budding players perform on the center stage. With growing enthusiasm for the support, IPA has managed to follow the trend with each passing season getting past some flaws while taking some along.
Indian Polo Association has announced the dates of the upcoming Polo Season, to be played in the latter part of 2019 and the first quarter of 2020. As we talk about the Indian Polo Season in detail, the impact of foreign players has been integral in the limited success of the season. Coming forward in the season is the young blood with budding players like Vandit Golechha, Sunny Patel, Hurr Ali, and Capt. Anant Rajpurohit ruling the field.
The 2018 season witnessed some great moments including Naveen Jindal being awarded the Most Valuable Player for the first time in his 30-year old career. A great show by Matthew Perry during the season kept teams Rajnigandha Achievers and Sahara Warriors on the shore of the semi-finals and finals. A 6-goal lead due to handicap disparity in an Open Championship was quite confusing for not only the Polo enthusiasts and fans but also the ground staff.
Highlights from the 2018-19 edition of the Indian Polo Season
Jaipur: The 2018 edition of the Indian Polo Season kicked off at Jaipur in style with the RPC Cup at the Rajasthan Polo Club. 4 tournaments were played over the course of one month at Jaipur. The Season continued in Jaipur during the month of January.
Jodhpur: Played in the month of December, the Jodhpur Polo Season witnessed Polo not only on the grass field but also in the arena. A total of 5 tournaments, 2 arena, and 3 grass, were played over the course of 25 days at Jodhpur. One of the highlights of the Indian Polo Season, Jodhpur Polo Season witnessed some great team plays and individual efforts.
Read More- Jodhpur polo season
Delhi (Fall): The three winter months, October, November, and December of 2018 witnessed a series of intense and dramatic Polo action on the fields of Jaipur Polo Ground and Army Equestrian Center, Delhi. A pool of tournaments ranging from 2-goal to 16-goal Open lighted up the fields in action. The Delhi Polo Season, in its course over the three months, witnessed 58 players in action with a combined handicap of 103. The Season witnessed a high of 897 goals out of which 169 came from the penalties. A total of 4 teams in the season with a goal tally of more than 100 goals graced the Polo fields of Delhi.
Read More- Delhi (Fall) Polo Season
Jaipur: Polo returned to the land of Kings, Jaipur where a total of 5 tournaments were played on the Polo fields of Rajasthan Polo Club and Cavalry Polo Club. 54 players became a part of the season where 19 teams in together played 49 matches over the course of 1 month. The season witnessed 32 hat tricks to see a total of 597 goals while Matthew perry became the individual top scorer with 81 goals.
Delhi (Spring): Polo returned to Delhi during the Spring with a total of 8 tournaments played during the time, the season witnessed the roar of 32 teams comprised of a total of 80 players. Going against each other in 71 matches, the teams combined managed to score 724 goals. The maximum number of goals scored during a match was in the finals of Northern India Open Polo Championship while the individual top scorer was Matthew Perry with 66 goals and 61 Cavalry was the top-scoring team of the season with 89 goals.
Read More- Delhi(Spring) Polo Season
Mumbai: Polo in the ‘city that never sleeps’. Mumbai Polo Season was a star-studded, action-packed and intense affair that lasted for about a month. 4 tournaments were played during the course of the season in which 13 teams, comprised of 30 players, competed for over 23 matches. 298 goals were scored and Madon Polo was the top-scoring team of the Mumbai Polo Season with 57 goals.
Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Polo & Riding club returned with an exciting arena Polo season where the Cavalry-HPRC Arena Polo Cup was played for the first time ever. In an effort to popularise the sport, the Season witnessed some great names from the army team participate in the arena league. Three tournaments were played during the 15-day season at HPRC
Read More- Hyderabad Polo Season
A look at what Polo players and polo clubs are expecting of the 2019 season –
Dhruvpal Godara, a +5 handicap Polo player and one of the most prominent figures of Indian Polo, talks about his expectations from the season. “ An intense season is expected ahead, the venues of which are going to be as wonderful as always. Other players who are regular with the season, including me are gearing up with better horses and better fitness. This season one can expect most players with a more aggressive style of play as the competition is going to be stiff. More high goal players for the season ahead also might be on the cards especially with the polo league being announced and confirmed. This Season is surely one to watch out for.”
We asked Capt. Anant Rajpurohit, an emerging Polo for his views on the Indian Polo Season and he replied back with a great message for LA POLO which read, “I would firstly like to appreciate the successful efforts of La Polo for making the games accessible from any part of the nation. Being a horseman whether one is competing in a different part of the nation in an equestrian event or committed to working in a different city. I personally feel this is really great to get closer to the game irrespective of where one is. The stats and figures of goals scored over a season assists in goal and scrutinization of performance are really helpful.”
Talking about the upcoming season, Capt. Anant Rajpurohit quoted, “As far as the coming season is concerned. I'm preparing myself, of course, to prove myself better, by getting my mounts fit, better trained, assessing and working on my weaknesses and refining the strengths.”
Polo Calendar 2019-20
| No. | Centres | Dates | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| (a) | MANIPUR | LOCAL 1st week Jan to 1st week Feb 2020 (INTERNATIONAL POLO ) (INTERNATIONAL WOMEN POLO : 15 TO 17 JAN 2020 ) | ‘C’ |
| (b) | JAIPUR (RPC) | 09 SEP TO 22 SEP 2019 | ‘A’ |
| (c) | JAIPUR (61 CAV) | 23 SEP TO 06 OCT 2019 | ‘A’ |
| (d) | NOIDA | 07 OCT TO 20 OCT 2019 | ‘A’ |
| (e) | DELHI | 14 OCT TO 08 DEC 2019 (INCLUDING IPA CHAMPIONSHIP & INDIAN MASTERS) | ‘A’ |
| (f) | JODHPUR | 13 DEC TO 30 DEC 2019 | ‘A’ |
| (g) | CALCUTTA | 15 DEC TO 30 DEC 2019 | ‘B’ |
| (h) | JAIPUR | 30 DEC 2019 TO 03 FEB 2020 | ‘A’ |
| (i) | DELHI | 02 FEB TO 08 MARCH 2020 | ‘A’ |
| (j) | BOMBAY | 31 DEC 2018 TO 03 FEB 2019 | ‘A’ |
| (k) | BANGALORE | 06 APR TO 18 APR 2020 | ‘B’ |
| ARENA POLO 06 GOAL & BELOW | |||
| (a) | JAIPUR (PPA) | ONE WEEK DURING 61 CAV SEASON | ‘B’ |
| (b) | HYDERABAD | ONE WEEK IN OCT 2019 AND 1ST OR 2ND WEEK OF APR 2020 | ‘B’ |
* LA POLO: official media partner of Indian Polo Association
WATCH LIVE POLO MATCH – LAPOLO TV
