shone. Despite the obvious and understandable disappointment at losing, there was a genuine sense of euphoria and satisfaction as the team stepped up the proudly receive their trophy in the warm dusk of our final evening at the polo ground. Everyone there felt truly honoured to have been a part of this very special week.
What did we learn while we were there? In this remote corner of the Indian subcontinent in Manipur, polo is ‘of the people’, quite unlike the glamorous game we know of in the West that belongs only to the rich elite. As you venture beyond the boundaries of Imphal, the villages of Manipur are tucked away in paddy fields, lush wetlands and shrubby wasteland that once served as polo grounds. It is in these rural areas that polo first thrived and was nurtured. The Manipuri pony thrives in the open grasslands and swampy terrains of the valley region. This open living and grazing have given this pony its sure-footedness and stamina. They can trot for kilometres at a time, play four or more chukkas and then carry their owner back to the village. For centuries these creatures have given freedom and a valued pass time to the rural youth. That is why they have been a help rather than a hindrance to locals and why they are so cherished. Today the grounds have vanished and polo is no longer played because the pony population is fast approaching extinction. Its natural grazing grounds have been eaten up by construction and settlement and ponies straying onto private land have been brutally attacked. All too often mares have been hit by vehicles on nearby roads as they try to forage for food. The
new generation of youth are interested in more modern types of hobbies and polo is no longer an integral and essential part of their lives. More importantly, polo does not offer many career prospects for those who are interested. Polo has now become an urban sport, forced into cities such as Imphal by the disappearing countryside. Most players still come from rural villages. There are now ten active polo clubs in the state, run and supported by a few individuals who have a great pride for their cultural heritage. These honorable few finance polo themselves, motivated by their passion, but they are not the super rich. They have some money and time to spare but often find that this is not sufficient to sustain their beloved club. The Manipur Riding and Polo Association have taken on the task of sustaining the costly game of polo in its place of birth, so that the original game and the original pony do not go extinct. They run a small breeding programme with a little government support. They have fought bankruptcy and a changing world to fight for their heritage and for this very special breed. The Manipuris are calling out to polo lovers all around the world for support for help. So what did we take away with us from our time in the far east of India? Underneath all the pomp and pageantry of the week, there was an underlying message. The world of Manipur polo is shrinking and the charismatic ponies disappearing. As the lucky few invited to go, we have a duty to tell the world about our time there and help them to find some much-needed support. PQ | 87