Polo has always been associated with royalty and the men who play the game are perceived as being babe magnets - it could be for the love of horses or for their machismo or both.
We caught up with the Indian Polo team which plays against England today at the 63rd Annual Polo Tournament & Horse Show as part of the Asia Cup.
The team is represented by Samir Suhag (captain), Vishal Chouhan (Indian Army), Shyam Mariwala (entrepreneur), Harsh Piramal (entrepreneur) and Ravi Rathore (Indian Army).
Samir says, “We don’t think about the women while we are on the field. We play our game and go back. But polo is a rough and tough game. So I guess plenty of women fall for the players.”
Vishal adds, “When women watch strong men, who are aggressive at their game yet so caring towards animals, they feel like knowing them better.”
The men say it is a passion for horses and not women that gets them to play polo. “Every horse has a distinct personality. The faster you adapt to the personality of your horse, the better you will be at your game,” says Harsh.
So what about the perception that most people have that polo is an expensive game? “Polo can be expensive since you have to maintain your own horses. But horse riding is not. Riding clubs provide you with the horses and it doesn’t cost more that Rs100 for 30 minutes. You might be spending more money in other activities such as swimming or tennis. So why not on riding?” asks Shyam.
Finally, talking about their big match today against England, how well placed is the Indian team? “The fastest thing on the ground is not the horse but the mind. Victory depends on how fast you can anticipate the opponent’s move. So we will do our best,” concludes Samir.
