world of polo Enjoyed in some of the most exotic locations on the planet, polo is a truly global sport, reports Diana Armstrong-Wilson
Winston Churchill once remarked that a polo handicap is a passport to the world. His quote is more apt today than at any other time in the sport’s 2,000-year history. The sport is no longer confined to the sporting elite in Europe, the USA or South America, but is played in many more countries worldwide. Along with such expansion comes choice. Today’s players, be they professional or amateur, have the option of playing on sand, snow or grass in some of the world’s most exotic locations. One of the most unusual places to play in 2013 is surely Iran. Although polo was banned in the country after the Iranian revolution of 1979, it was resurrected in the Nineties and has experienced a recent resurgence of popularity. Iran now boasts a national federation with links to the Federation of International Polo (FIP) and some five clubs. One such venue can be found south-east of Tehran. Qasr-e Firouze Chowgan Club hosts matches and tournaments every week and has around 150 members, both men and women, although the latter have to
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follow the strict Islamic dress code. Of course, a political message is never far away in this country and a large picture of its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei looms over the field, reminding all Iranians to engage in ‘sports that are home-grown, such as polo, which is Iranian’. Persia was indeed the birthplace of polo and this revival is simply the sport returning appositely to its roots. As one player explained in a recent interview: ‘The authorities encourage the game because it was born in Iran.’ However, third-generation player Amirali Zolfaghari admits that the game is not yet accessible to everyone. ‘You need money to buy and maintain a horse and to purchase the equipment. But our federation is doing everything it can to attract young people. It provides horses and equipment for beginners and we have set up four or five clubs in order to improve the standing of the national team.’ Just 800 miles south of Qasr-e Firouze Chowgan Club, polo is already thriving. This
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Persia was the birthplace of polo and this revival is simply the sport returning to its roots
is in Dubai – one of the sport’s biggest success stories of recent years. Alongside the rapid expansion of this emirate, many enthusiastic patrons, including the Al Habtoor brothers, Ali Albwardy and Saeed Bin Drai, have developed the game so that there is now an excellent choice of venues and a bank of home-grown players. Testament to the success of the game is Mohammed Al Habtoor’s confirmation that the Habtoor Gold Cup will be played off 18 goals in 2015. Added to that, one Argentine professional compared Dubai to Palm Beach, saying: ‘When you take into account the fact that polo is growing here
