Polo

POLO, the most ancient of games with stick and ball. Its name is derived from the Tibetan pulu, a ball. Hockey, the Irish national game of hurling, and possibly golf and cricket, are de rived from polo. The latter was called hockey or hurling on horse back in England and Ireland respectively, but historically hockey and hurling are polo on foot. The earliest records of polo are Per sian. From Persia it spread to Constantinople, eastwards through Turkestan to Tibet, China and Japan. From Tibet polo travelled to Gilgit and Chitral, possibly also to Manipur. Polo also flourished in India in the i6th century. Then for 200 years its records in India cease, till in 1863 polo came into Bengal from Manipur by way of Cachar.

Chronology of Modern Polo.

Polo was first introduced to India in 1863 by Maj.-Gen. Sherar. He brought two teams of Manipuri natives from Manipur to Calcutta, where they played an exhibition match. In 1869 polo was brought to England by the 1 oth Hussars. In 1871 the first recorded match took place on Hounslow Heath between the 9th Lancers and the loth Hus sars with eight players on each side. An account of this match appeared in the Morning Post in July 1871. In 1873 the numbers on each side were reduced to five. A match under these conditions took place at Lillie Bridge. The first code of rules was drawn up by the committee of the Hurlingham Club in 1874. In 1876 the height of ponies was fixed by Hurlingham at 14.0 hands and the Champion Cup was inaugurated at Hurlingham with five players on each side. In 1877 the first inter-regimental tournament was held in India, and in 1878 at Hurlingham. In the same year the first county cup tournament and the first Oxford v. Cambridge match were held at Hurlingham, and the first All-Ireland open cup at Phoenix park, Dublin. In 1882 the number of players on each side was reduced to four. In 1884 John Watson introduced the back-hand stroke to Hurlingham from India, and placed the players at No. I, No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 or back, thus laying the foundation of the modern combination game. In 1886 John Watson took the first team to America and won the Westchester Cup. He taught the Americans the back-hand stroke and the rudiments of the combination game. In 1888 the height of

ponies in India was raised from 13.2 to 13.3. In 1895 the height of the ponies was raised by the Hurlingham committee to 14.2 and an official measurer appointed. In 1902 an American team first visited England and was defeated by England by two matches to one. In India the height of ponies was raised to 14.1. In 1909 America won the cup at Hurlingham. In 1910 handicapping was introduced into English polo, and offside was abolished. Both these innovations were copied from America. India adopted these alterations. In 1911 and 1913 England was defeated in America. In 1914 England beat America in America, and brought the cup back. In 1919 the height limit for ponies was abolished. In 1921 America regained the cup from England. In the same year a committee sat in London during the summer and evolved a code of universal rules. This code of rules has been adopted wherever polo is played, with local modifications as regards height of ponies and the duration of matches. In 1924, 1927 and 1930 England was defeated in America.

The Game.

A full-sized ground should not exceed 3ooyds. in length by 2ooyds. in width, if unboarded; and 3ooyds. in length by i6oyds. in width, if boarded. The goals are not less than 250yds. apart, and each goal 8yds. wide.

Polo is played with four players on each side, on exactly the same principles as hockey or association football. A match lasts about one hour, divided into periods of play; during the inter vals ponies are changed. In England seven periods of eight minutes are played for a full match ; in America, eight periods of seven-and-a-half minutes. The players are placed at No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, or half-back, and No. 4 or back. So there are two forwards and two backs. But during the course of the game as the players pass the ball to one another these places are being constantly changed. The modern game is a most elastic one, but there should always be one player in each place. Two umpires are required in a first-class match to award the penalties for infringement of the rules, and in an important tournament a referee at the side of the ground decides disputes if the umpires disagree.