PROGRAMME We would like to welcome our guests to this year’s Diplomats Polo Cup Prague 2018 held under the auspices of the Embassy of the Republic of Brazil in the Czech Republic and we wish you a spectacular afternoon whiFriday: le watching high profile polo matches and enjoying an exclusively catered social gathering. 14:00: Start of Matches
16:00: Start of Matches This year’s event is held in support of the organisation Kapka Naděje, who are supporting children suffering from cancer and their families in Czech Republic. Learn more about their work by speaking with them during the event or visit there website www.kapkanadeje.cz.
Saturday: 14:00: Start of Matches 16:00: Start of Matches Friday 15th June 14:00 Captains Meeting 15:00 Match 1 Sunday: 16:30 Match 2 12.00: opening doors SATURDAY 16th June
12:20 Opening speeches 12:30: Start of Matches 14:00: Start of Matches 12:00 Match 1 14:00 Match 2 16:00 Award ceremony SUNDAY 17th June • GRAND FINAL 12:00 Doors Open 12:30 Match for 3rd & 4th place 14:00 Final Match for 1st & 2nd place 16:00 Award Ceremony
THE HISTORY OF POLO The game was first played in Persia at dates given from the 5th century BC or much earlier, to the 1st century AD and originated there, polo was at first a training game for cavalry units, usually the king‘s guard or other elite troops. In time polo became an Iranian national sport played normally by the nobility. Later on Polo was passed from Persia to other parts of Asia including the Indian subcontinent and China, where it was very popular during the Tang Dynasty and frequently depicted in paintings and statues. Valuable for training cavalry, the game was played from Constantinople to Japan by the Middle Ages. It is known in the East as the Game of Kings. The name polo is said to have been derived from the Tibetan word „pulu“, meaning ball. The modern game of polo, though formalised and popularised by the British, is derived from Manipur (now a state in India). In 1862 the first polo club, Calcutta Polo Club, was established by two British soldiers, Captain Robert Stewart and Major General Joe Shearer. Later they spread the game to their peers in England. The British are credited with spreading polo worldwide in the late 19th century and the early 20th century. Military officers imported the game to Britain in the 1860s. The establishment of polo clubs throughout England and western Europe followed after the formal codification of rules. The game‘s governing body in the United Kingdom is the Hurlingham Polo Association, which drew up the first set of formal British rules in 1874, many of which are still in existence. Today polo is played in 80 countries by almost 24,000 players worldwide. It was an Olympic sport from 1900 to 1939 and has now been recognized again by the International Olympic Committee. Polo was only recently introduced to the Czech republic in the last 8 years and has already attained significant interest and growth amongst the Czech and Expat communities.
A Polo handicap is a passport to the world -Sir Winston Churchill
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RULES Basic Rules A polo game is played between two teams with four players on each side. The members are designated as “attack” or “defense” and each has the job of further- ing their own goal tally while preventing the other side from scoring. Most of the rules were established to keep the riders and horses, often called ponies, safe. Teams line up, in numerical order, opposite each other. Then an official begins the match with a throw-in, the ball is rolled between the teams, and play begins. (Throw-ins occur to begin a match and to resume play after a time out or when a goal has been scored). The line of the ball is a “right of way” established by the path of a traveling ball. Right of way occurs when a player has the line of the ball on his right; the player who struck the ball last has right of way. Riding alongside a player with the right of way is permitted, as long as his way is not hindered. The umpire primarily looks out for right of way and the line of the ball. Teams change ends after each goal is scored to account for any wind advantage which may exist. Teams Four players are on each team. Each player wears a numbered jersey, one through four, which indicates their position and responsibilities on the field. • One – Mainly concerned with goal scoring – often played by the lowest handicapped player on the team. • Two – Scorer, but greater defensive responsibilities then Number One. • Three – Adept at scoring, playing defense and determining the strategy. • Four – Mainly a defensive player. Players score by driving the ball into the opposing team’s goal. Time Periods A polo match is approximately one and one-half hours long and is divided into seven-minute time periods called chukkers. There are six chukkers in a highgoal match. Breaks between chukkers are three minutes long, with a 15-minute halftime.
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Players All players are assigned a handicap. Handicaps go from minus two to ten goals and are determined by competition committees in the countries where the players compete. There are only 12 or so ten goalers in the world. Players must hit right-handed for safety reasons. Game Control Two mounted umpires control the game; a midfield referee steps in when the umpires disagree. A flagman is positioned behind each goal; he indicates when a goal is scored. Fouls The umpires generally call fouls for dangerous riding or use of the mallet. Penalty for a foul can be anything from a free hit to a free goal for the opposing team. Field Polo fields are 300 yards long and 160 yards wide. An eight-yard wide goal, marked by ten-foot high goal posts, is centered on each end of the field. Defensive techniques A player may use his mallet to block or interfere with an opponent’s swing by hooking the other player’s mallet. This is only allowed when a player is on the side where the swing is occurring. A bump, or ride-off, is used to break an opponent’s concentration, move him off the line of the ball or ruin his shot. When one player rides his pony alongside and physically connects with his opponent to lead him away from the ball, it is called a ride-off. A ride-off is permissible only at a 30-degree angle and at the horse’s shoulder. Scoring Players score by driving the ball into the opposing team’s goal. Ponies The mounts are full-size horses, ranging in size from 14.2 to 16 hands high at the withers, or horse’s shoulders, (one hand equals four inches) and weigh between 900 and 1100 lbs.
TEAMS
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TEAMS
ETIQUETTE Polo style is governed primarily by the social occasion, to an extent by the weather and by access to the polo field itself. If the polo match is played to benefit a charity or if an invitation into the exclusive hospitality section of the event has been extended, guests tend to dress up. If the match is a simple afternoon affair, then spectators tend to dress a little more casually. Mens’ attire Typically, men tend to wear chinos or dress pants and a dress shirt to polo, especially if they are invited to a charity benefit or are invited into exclusive VIP areas at a match. A blazer or sport coat is a useful ‚layer‘ and very occasionally a guest might want to wear a tie and a panama hat.
SAVE THE DATE 24. - 29. 7.2018
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