The polo community is mourning the sudden loss of Sunjay Kapur, a 53-year-old Indian industrialist and polo patron. Kapur died of a heart attack while playing polo at the Guards Polo Club in the United Kingdom on 12 June 2025. Reports suggest that he may have swallowed a bee during the match, leading to a severe allergic reaction and subsequent cardiac arrest. He was playing alongside his team, the Aureus Polo team, of which he was the patron.
Kapur, the son of legendary industrialist Surinder Kapur, led Sona Comstar as its chairman and had formerly served as president of the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA). His sudden death came just hours after he expressed condolences on X (formerly Twitter) for the victims of the tragic Ahmedabad Air India crash.
As the force behind the Sona Polo and Aureus Polo teams, he masterfully straddled the fast-paced world of business and the spirited, verdant ground of polo. A seasoned entrepreneur and dedicated patron-player, he viewed polo not just as a sport but as a calling.
“You never have time—you need to make time,” he had once said.
About Polo, he had said: “Polo is a passion for me. It’s a sport I love to play and support.” His journey into the sport began in childhood with early riding lessons, and a spark ignited at age eight when he watched a match in Chicago. The decisive moment came when a friend handed him a mallet and said, “Let’s try this.” The rest, as they say, is history.
For Kapur, polo was meditative. “It’s a dangerous, fast sport that requires focus, and that focus helps me get away from everything,” he was quoted as saying. This mental clarity and his yoga practice enhanced his game and leadership style. Polo, he had said, taught him discipline, anticipation, and the importance of being present.
He always emphasised the power of teamwork. “You can’t win with four individual great players. A great team wins a game. Each player has a role. You cannot play someone else’s part, and they can’t play yours,” he had said.
Kapur always preferred a clean, open style of play over excessive tapping or turning. “I believe conventionally—hit it open, play clean, and avoid fouls,” he had stated.
His love for the sport and his vision to take Indian polo to the global frontiers will always be remembered and cherished by the polo fraternity.
