Riders on galloping horses racing across a large field and hitting a bamboo ball with wooden mallets — this is polo, the sport of kings.
Played on horseback, polo has always been a royal game. Over the years, different versions of polo have emerged with horses being replaced by camels and elephants. But animals are difficult to maintain and the game has remained restricted to the elite. It is only when horses came to be replaced by the humble bicycle that polo became a common man’s sport. The Calcutta Cricket and Football Club (CCFC) is one of the venues where this version of the sport — called cycle polo — is played. The All India Cycle Polo Invitation Cup was held at the CCFC ground from April 18 to 21.
The beginning
Players chase the bamboo ball with wooden mallets.
The game of cycle polo was invented by retired champion cyclist Richard J. Mecredy in 1891 at Wicklow, Ireland. In October 1891, the first cycle polo match was played at the Scalp (County Wicklow) between Rathclaren Rovers and the Ohne Hast Cycling Club. In 1901, the first international match was played between England and Ireland. At the London Olympics in 1908, cycle polo was a demonstration sport and Ireland won the gold by defeating Germany in the final.
The India story
Polo has always been a much-loved sport among India royal families. During the hot summer months, the horses needed rest and this is how they came to be replaced by cycles. The sport had a formal beginning in 1966 with the formation of Cycle Polo Federation of India. In the early 1970s, cycle polo matches were a regular fixture at the Calcutta Cricket and Football Club (CCFC) in Kolkata. In 1972, CCFC started a Merchant’s Cup for cycle polo. It was the first Merchant Cup of CCFC, which featured corporate teams, but was discontinued.
India’s road to success
India has been a super power in cycle polo, having won the Cycle Polo World Championship (equivalent to the World Cup) in 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2019. In 2019, India regained the world title in Buenos Aires, beating USA in the final. As the world championship is yet to be held after 2019, India remains the current world champion.
A goal is scored at the All India Cycle Polo Invitation Cup 2024 at the Calcutta Cricket and Football Club.
Rules and regulations of the game
Cycle polo is played on natural grass lawns measuring 120 to 150m in length and 80 to 100m in breadth. Both ends of the field have goal posts, which are 4m apart and 2.5m high. There is no cross bar.
Each team comprises six players with four taking the field. The cycles are ordinary non-geared cycles, without the mud guard, bell and stand. The mallets measure 1m in length. The ball — an oversized tennis ball — is usually bright orange in colour. The game is divided into four quarters (known as chukkar) of 7.5 minutes each with three 5-minute breaks.
The game is played only with the right hand (same as polo). The teams switch sides after each goal (same as polo). The match is supervised by two on field umpires assisted by two goal judges. The off-field referee supervises the entire procedure.
Cycle polo in today’s India
Although India is the present world champion in cycle polo, the game is not all that popular and not played across the country. Service teams like the Indian Air Force and Indian Army, along with the Territorial Army, usually lead the show.
Among the states, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra have good teams but again the sport is restricted to one or a few pockets within the state.
In West Bengal, Ranaghat Cycle Polo Academy is the sole player supplier for the state. An initiative of Suvendro Mullick, it trains both boys and girls in cycle polo. Sonu Kairi of Ranaghat Cycle Polo Academy was part of the World Cup-winning Indian team of 2019.
All India Cycle Polo Invitation Cup at CC&FC
Although the Cycle Polo Merchants Cup started by CCFC has long stopped, the club continues to organise a national-level invitation tournament on a regular basis. This year, the All India Cycle Polo Invitation Cup was held at the CCFC ground from April 18 to 21. The men’s section had seven teams. The Indian Air Force, Territorial Army, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal fielded three teams. The women’s section had three teams — Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Because of the intense heat, the matches were played in the morning and evening. The evening matches were played under floodlights.
Indian Air Force emerged champions in the men’s section. Territorial Army and Chhattisgarh bagged the second and third places, respectively. Chhattisgarh won the women’s title with Uttar Pradesh finishing second.
(Top) The Chhattisgarh women’s champions team and (above) the Indian Air Force men’s champions team at the All India Cycle Polo Invitation Cup 2024 at the Calcutta Cricket and Football Club. b
“This year, the tournament had some added attractions, which included a giant screen. The DJ music added to the entertainment. But the greatest innovation was the use of social media. Matches were shown live on the YouTube channel of Cycle Polo Association of Bengal. It was watched live throughout the world. The videos will be there on YouTube and will create awareness about the sport, especially in areas where it is not popular,” said Nilanjan Sen, captain of the cycle polo section of CCFC.
Sonu Kairi, member of the World Cup-winning cycle polo team, said: “I was introduced to the game in 2003 at the Ranaghat Cycle Polo Academy as a teenager. This year, I played for the West Bengal B team as the A team had young players.”
Sonu’s teammate, Aman Pashi, added: “Our current focus is on training young players so that they can represent the national team."