SPORTS: PLAYING THE GAME OF POLO.

Playing Polo. You will be nearer to Heaven by playing a game of Polo than reading the pages of Gita. Practice makes the man Perfect. It is the ground and the ground rules of playing Polo plus taking care of the horses and ponies is a lengthy time consuming process, The polo-player has to live a much disciplined life. Polo is like a jealous mistress.  It does not allow the polo-player to enjoy a family-life. It keeps him away from evening parties and public-function.  It demands his presence on the practice-ground early in the morning till ten a.m. till sun-heat is light.  Similarly he has to practice in the evening from 4p.m. to eight or so and leaves him drained out of all energy.  Polo is one of the oldest sport.  It is said it originated in Iran. It spread in one form or in some modified form (according to local conditions and climate) to India China and Japan.  The English Officers while serving in India were attracted to play polo match with the princes and kings and other dignitaries.  The English took the game with them on return to England. Thereby it got spread all over Europe, USA and Argentina.  In Argentina, Polo is played riding on ponies. In Argentina their ponies have less height, are speedy and very flexible ideal for polo game to run swiftly and stop and turn abruptly; easy to chase the ball and make an easy goal.  Played with 4 players, on each side, riding on horses, with a race to score goal by hitting the ball in the goal-net, a hut designed specially at the end of the ground,   players on horses play a life to death game, to score a goal. It is played in a 300 by 100 yards playground where the rider uses a stick, a long cane angled with a bat to hit the ball to make a goal.  Polo is a game for the rich.  It needs a fleet of ponies/horses duly trained and well-fed to be able to take the field strain.  It is a dangerous and strenuous game.