Manipur is where it all began. And by this we mean the modern day game of polo. Sagol Kangjei, as it is known locally, was the common man's game unlike it's current status across the globe. Now the game of polo is an elite affair but back in the day, commoners in Manipur started this game bare feet, clad in white dhoti and turban and astride indigenous Manipuri ponies. But these Manipuri ponies, unluckily, don't have that good a life. The loss of habitat is what's effecting their numbers.
The history of polo is quite an interesting one. Did you know that Manipur is home to the Imphal Polo Ground, which happened to be the oldest working polo ground in the world. Though the very first polo club was established in Silchar, Assam, in 1833, the 1862 Calcutta Polo Club still remains the oldest working polo club in the world.
Though the game was made popular worldwide by the Britishers, in Manipur, the game's history goes back to the time way before 33 AD when Chaitharol-Kumbaba or the Royal Chronicle of Manipur was first maintained. Manipuri polo was a big part of the Manipuri culture and traditions. The game reached far and wide, from the Manipuri kings to the first Mughal emperor Babur to the Britishers. And now in current times, polo has become something of a status symbol.
As mentioned earlier, the game had lost its presence in the modern day Manipur because of the sad plight of the ponies. But slowly the state is doing everything it can to revive the sport. One big initiative is Sangai Festival where, annually, the state organises international polo matches. But playing polo in Manipur is not as simple as it sounds. On-field, only Manipuri ponies are allowed, which by the way, are harder to maneuver.
