Polo

Polo

·       Introduction

Polo is a horseback mounted team sport. It is one of the world's oldest known team sports.[3]

The game is vie by 2 opposing groups with the target of marking goals by hit atiny low onerous ball with a long wood mallet, and thru the opposing team's goal. Each team has four mounted riders, and the game usually lasts one to two hours, divided into periods called chukkas (or "chukkers").

·       History

Although the exact origins of the game are unknown it most likely began as a simple game played by mounted Iranian nomads in Central Asia, from where it spread to Persia and on the far side.[6][7] In time polo became a Persian national sport played extensively by the nobility. Women vie also as men.[8] During the period of the Parthian Empire (247 BC to 224 AD), the sport had great patronage under the kings and noblemen. According to the Oxford lexicon lately Antiquity, polo (known as čawgān in Middle Persian, i.e. chovgan), was a Persian ball game and a crucial interest within the court of the Sasanian Empire (224-651).[9] It was also part of royal education for the Sasanian ruling class.[9] Emperor Shapur II learnt to play polo once he was seven years previous in 316 AD.

·        Middle Ages and Early Modern Era

Valuable for coaching cavalry, the game was played from Constantinople to Japan by the Middle Ages. The game also spread south to Arabia and to India and Tibet.

The game continued to be supported by Mongol rulers of Persia in the 11th century, as well as under the Safavid dynasty. In the seventeenth century, Naqsh-i Jahan Square in Isfahan was built as a polo field by King Abbas I. The game was additionally learnt by the close Byzantine Empire at Associate in Nursing early date. A tzykanisterion (stadium for taking part in tzykanion, the Byzantine name for polo) was engineered by emperor Theodosius II (r. 408–450) within the nice Palace of Stambul.[10] Emperor Basil I (r. 867–886) excelled at it; Emperor Alexander (r. 912–913) died from exhaustion whereas enjoying and John I of Trebizond (r. 1235–1238) died from a fatal injury throughout a game.[11]

·       Modern game

·       Britain India

The modern game of polo comes from Manipur, India, wherever the sport was called 'Sagol Kangjei', 'Kanjai-bazee', or 'Pulu'.[17][18] It was the anglicised form of the last, referring to the picket ball that was used, which was adopted by the sport in its slow spread to the west. The first polo club was established within the city of Silchar in state, India, in 1833.

The origins of the game in Manipur are traced to early precursors of Sagol Kangjei.[19] This was one of three forms of hockey in Manipur, the other ones being field hockey (called Khong Kangjei) and wrestling-hockey (called Mukna Kangjei). Local rituals like those connected to the Marjing, the Winged-Pony God of Polo and the creation-ritual episodes of the Lai Haraoba festival enacting the life of his son, Khori-Phaba, the polo-playing god of sports. These might indicate Associate in Nursing origin before the historical records of state.

·       Rules

The rules of polo area unit written for the protection of each players and horses. Games are monitored by umpires. A whistle is blown when an infraction occurs, and penalties are awarded. Strategic plays in polo are based on the "line of the ball", an imaginary line that extends through the ball in the line of travel. This line traces the ball's path and extends past the ball on that flight. The line of the ball defines rules for players to approach the ball safely. The "line of the ball" changes whenever the ball changes direction. The player World Health Organization hits the ball usually has the correct of method, and alternative players cannot cross the road of the ball before of that player. As players approach the ball, they ride on either side of the line of the ball giving each access to the ball. A player will cross the road of the ball once it doesn't produce a dangerous state of affairs. Most infractions and penalties area unit associated with players improperly crossing the road of the ball or the correct of method. When a player has the road of the ball on his right, he has the right of way. A "ride-off" is when a player moves another player off the line of the ball by making shoulder-to-shoulder contact with the other players' horses.

The defensive player features a sort of opportunities for his team to realize possession of the ball. He will push the opponent off the road or steal the ball from the opponent. Another common defensive play is named "hooking." While a player is taking a swing at the ball, his opponent can block the swing by using his mallet to hook the mallet of the player swinging at the ball. A player might hook as long as he's on the facet wherever the swing is being created or directly behind Associate in Nursing opponent. A player may not purposely touch another player, his tack or pony with his mallet. Unsafe draw could be a foul that may lead to a penalty shot being awarded. For example, it is a foul for a player to reach over an opponent's mount in an attempt to hook.

The other basic defensive play is named the bump or ride-off. It's similar to a body check in hockey. In a ride-off, a player rides his pony alongside an opponent's mount in order to move an opponent away from the ball or to take him out of a play. It should be dead properly so it doesn't endanger the horses or the players. The angle of contact must be safe and can not knock the horses off balance, or harm the horses in any way. Two players following the road of the ball and riding each other off have the correct of over one man returning from any direction.